YuGiOh!: The Arcane Chronicles
by Aaron 'CyberV' Thall
Summary: Based on the netbased Team Arcane, and set in the GX era, Arcane Chronicles tells the story of a rookie duelist charged with becoming the Warrior of the Balance and stopping the Evil Duelists from ruling the school. Can he save his friends and the world?
1. Welcome to Arcane Academy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any authentic Yu-Gi-Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh! GX characters. They are wholly used without permission. Any original characters are the property of their respective creators. The Arcane Chronicles are based on YuGiOh internet team Team Arcane. Any resemblance to actual real life should be taken as a very sad sign indeed.

* * *

The distant past, during the age of the Pharaohs:

The Pharaoh watched with cautious eyes as the caravan prepared for it's long and arduous journey. He knew this was a desperate measure, but with the King of Thieves lusting for the power of the Millennium Items, he dared not risk his kingdom's other mystical items. Already, the Amulet was on it's way. The Items would be needed for the coming conflict, but soon, he sensed, they would need to be sealed away for their own protection. He had already instructed the Tombkeepers of the actions to take if worst came to worst.

"My Pharaoh, is this necessary?" The Pharaoh turned to see his loyal friend, High Priest Seto.

"I cannot be certain, my friend. I merely prepare in case I fail in my duties. The battle to come will be harder without it's presence, but we cannot risk him getting ahold of it. If that were to happen, it would be the beginning of the end. Nothing would survive."

Together, they watched as it was finally brought out, surrounded by loyal guards who knew their actions now might save the world. It was a wand of power, not unlike the Millennium Rod. However, it's power was far different than that of any other Item. While the remaining Items dealt with the powers of the mind, this was a cosmic controller, a karmic balancer, keeping both good and evil energies in check.

It was the almighty Scepter of the Balance.

"You trust the Arcane?"

"I do." The Pharaoh understood Seto's hesitation. The Arcane was a hastily devised alliance between warring factions that agreed only that neither side wanted the Thief getting the Scepter. But both sides also understood the need to maintain a balance of power between themselves, lest nature itself revolt. He simply hoped that was enough to keep the power of the Scepter in check.

Their instructions were simple. Take the Scepter, and guard it at all cost. Replenish their ranks as necessary, no matter how long it would take to ensure it's permanent safety.

As the caravan began to move, the Pharaoh and Seto watched, concerned. "I hope they're up to it," said the High Priest.

"So do I, old friend. So do I."

In truth, he knew it would not be enough. He knew this from a prophecy delivered by the Necklace only a day prior. One day, far from now, the balance would be upset, and one that knew the powers of the darkness and the light would be needed. He knew that somehow, the Puzzle around his neck would play some small role in that coming conflict... A role in helping to find the Warrior of the Balance.

Wishing that future champion good fortune, the Pharaoh turned away from the Arcane, to prepare to fact the defiler of his father's tomb.

* * *

The caravan traveled for many months, even after hearing of the deaths of the Pharaoh and the Thief. They knew their orders, and that if the time came to be recalled, word would be sent to them. All traces of this alliance's existence was erased, as was any mention of the Scepter. None seeking true power, no matter how knowledgeable, would learn of their charge.

And as the centuries past, the roles were passed down through generations, to new recruits proven worthy of maintaining the balance. In time, the Pharaoh returned, reincarnated into the body and mind of a master gamer named Yugi Mutoh. But this is not his story. No, he never recalled the Scepter, so deep were the methods used to hide it's existence. But he did play a minor role in it's destiny.

* * *

The four friends stood in a circle, hands together, as the girl drew, oddly enough, a smiling face on the backs of their hands. They knew that they would soon face great challenges. As they reaffirmed their spiritual connections, the bearer of the Puzzle felt the slightest pulsation from his Item. His best friend, who would be one of the Pharaoh's greatest allies, felt it as well. Neither thought anything of it. Both went on to become legendary.

Far later, the Pharaoh finally reached his long deserved reward, unaware that there was unfinished business a mere generation away. He also remained unaware that actions had already been taken to handle that business.

* * *

A Generation after the Second Coming of the Pharaoh:

The Pharaoh's Ally watched as the neophyte Duelists continued their game. In truth, he didn't quite know why he'd chosen today to visit the park. He'd merely had a strange feeling there was someone he was supposed to help.

"I sacrifice Kojikocy and Mysterious Puppeteer to summon Hyozanryu in attack mode!" The Ally watched, rooting for the poor guy. He'd seen this player try ten times already to win a match, but he just didn't have anything to work with in his cards. But he kept trying, a sign of a true Duelist spirit... And he would know.

He watched as the powerful Dragon of Diamonds appeared, roaring it's emergence to the world.

ATK: 2100

"And now I'll equip it with the spell card Megamorph, which doubles it's attack as long as my lifepoints are lower than your's!"

The card appeared on the field, and the Dragon seemed to double in size.

ATK: 4200

LP: 1500 Opponent LP: 3500

"Now ATTACK WITH DIAMOND FIRE!"

The opponent simply laughed. "BIG MISTAKE! REVEAL TRAP CARD!"

"WHAT?!"

"DISARMAMENT!" Even as he said it, a facedown card shifted upwards. "This trap card destroys all equip spell cards on the field, like your Megamorph!"

Megamorphed shattered, and Hyozanryu began to shrink to his original size and strength.

ATK: 2100

"OH NO!"

The attack struck at the Shinato, King of a Higher Plane on the field. The Ally winced. The player was about to lose again

Shinato atk: 3300

The player watched as the attack rebounded and annihilated his monster. His Lifepoints took a massive blow as well. He had no cards in his hand, either, so he knew what was coming.

LP: 300

"Pathetic." The opponent scoffed. "You ARE a rank amateur. And now that your turn's obviously finished, I'll finish you off." He drew a card, but didn't bother looking at it. He didn't need to. "SHINATO, FINISH HIM OFF!" The angelic monster lowered it's gaze upon the player and lashed out with utterly anti-climatic eyebeams, knocking the player off his feet and scattering his deck.

LP: 0

Shinato faded. Disgusted, the Opponent turned away. "And stop wasting the time of REAL Duelists."

The Ally hated that kind of attitude. It always came with the worst kind of a duelist, one that couldn't simply enjoy the game and enjoyed hurting others. He'd met and fought far too many like the opponent. Ignoring the Opponent, he turned to see the player picking up his cards, utterly dejected.

Then, the Ally felt the slightest pulse, and had a strange feeling.

Far away, the Scepter glowed.

"It's found a new recruit," said the leader of Good.

"Looks like. But for which side?" The leader of Evil watched as the scepter shot out an energy beam at the wall, forming an image of the park.

The Ally walked over and knelt down to help the player gather his deck.

"He's right. I'm never going to be any good at this." The player sighed. Maybe it was time to give it up.

"That's the wrong attitude to have, pal," said the Ally as he handed Hyozanryu back to the player. "You're just starting. It takes practice to learn how to build a deck properly. Just keep at it, and someday you'll show that loudmouth who the real Duelist is."

The player looked up, astonished. "You're-"

"Yeah. I am. But nevermind that. You can't just give up because you lose a few fights here and there. You've got what it takes. You'll see that in time."

"Are... Are you sure?"

"Definitely. I've been where you are. And I've learned from the best to never give up just because things aren't looking good."

The deck gathered, both stood up, face to face. "You're just saying that to make me feel better, right?"

"If I was, I wouldn't do this." The ally reached into his own deck holder, and brought out two cards. He hadn't played the game for a long time, but these were special cards to him. Still, something told him they needed to be passed on. Heck, his best friend had felt the same thing a few days ago, and passed on his Winged Kuriboh. It was weird, but it felt right. "Now, I'd better get going. But I've got a feeling you've got a real future at this."

Turning away, the Ally smiled.

"THANKS! I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't. Hey, what's your name, anyway? I wanna know what I should tell people when they ask me who to be rooting for in the future."

"My name's Aaron. But everyone just calls me CyberV."

The Ally chuckled. Someone had obviously seen way too many Sentais.

"Good luck, CyberV."

CyberV watched the Ally go, before daring to look at the two cards. Rocket Warrior and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Both pulsed slightly, and his eyes widened. "Wow..."

* * *

"There," said the leader of Good. "That is the one we need."

"You still haven't told me which side he's supposed to be on."

"That's the strange part. He's BOTH."

They watched the mystical image of the player called CyberV, the future Warrior of the Balance, walk away, headed towards a date with destiny.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: Arcane Chronicles

Episode 1: Welcome to Arcane Academy! The Warrior of the Balance Arrives!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Jason (Ramesus) Jointer

* * *

Two weeks later:

"MAIL CALL!" A somewhat shrill voice called out. Groaning, CyberV looked up from his cards. Ever since that day in the park, he'd been trying to build decks around these special cards... Chaos was always an option, but it felt so... cheap. Everyone used it these days, and the lack of inventiveness bothered him to no end. Still, he had to do something. His Underdog deck, the one that had failed every duel, simply didn't cut it. Never had, never would. There was a reason everyone called out "There's no need to fear!" whenever he pulled it out.

"You've got a letter! It looks important!"

Cursing whatever fates invented yelling, he went downstairs to get his mail. Taking it, he figured it was just another credit card advertisement.

Then he saw the official seal of the Arcane Academy.

He couldn't believe it. The Arcane Academy was almost as selective as Duel Academy, and just as famous. They picked their students, not by application, but by methods no one really could explain. You didn't apply to Arcane Academy. You got invited. Arcane had produced dozens of world class champions, but each and every one was sworn to secrecy about the school, making the mystique surrounding it almost irresistible.

Hesitantly, he opened the envelope and read the letter within, taking care to not drop the special card inside, bearing the same seal as the envelope.

"We are writing to inform you that you have been invited to attend Arcane Academy. We have been watching you, and see great potential. If you wish to let us help you cultivate that potential into talent, place the enclosed card into the field zone on your Duel Disk. Further instructions will follow."

It was a lot to take in. Still, he felt he was handling all this with the maturity a true Duelist should always display.

"YES! YES YES YES YES YES!"

Rushing to his room, he pulled out his Duel Disk. Strapping it to his wrist, he deployed it to play mode and opened the field slot. Without hesitation, he put in the Seal of the Arcane.

The Disk glowed for a moment, then went silent. Confused, he opened the field slot, but the Seal of the Arcane had changed. Now there were simply instructions on it. A time, a place, and the suggestion to bring only the essentials and his inventory.

Silently, he promised the Arcane Academy that he would definitely be there.

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER:

CyberV had been shocked at getting invited to the Arcane Academy. But he was awestruck as he looked up at the private jet bearing the school's insignia, the crossing of the staves of the greatest Duel Monsters Spellcasters in history. With his inventory and supplies safely tucked into his duffel bag, he reached into his belt-mounted card holder and pulled out the Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior. They almost seemed to pulse as he looked at them.

"I guess I'm on my way..."

Tucking them back into the holder, he made his way to the jet. But as he reached the stairway, someone appeared in the doorway.

"HEY! You must be CyberV, right? We were starting to worry about you! You're the last to arrive."

He blinked. Silently, he admonished himself for not realizing that he wasn't going to be the only newcomer from the area.

"Sorry about that... I got lost."

"Don't sweat it. But we'll be taking off soon, so hurry up!" CyberV quickly made his way up to the door.

"Oh, just for the record, I'm called Ramesus. The Academy sent me to make sure everyone was oriented before they arrived. Relax, I'll explain everything once we're up in the air."

"You're not a first year?"

"Starting my third. Believe it or not, I'm one of the highest ranked students."

"And you're playing tour guide?"

Ramesus shrugged. "Eh. Good for the karma. Now go find a seat. We're taking off."

Nodding, CyberV moved past him towards the passenger cabin. What he found was akin to a luxury hotel room with seat belts. It was a gamer's haven, littered with games of skill, chance, speed and strength. And several other new recruits were busy enjoying themselves.

"Ummm... Hi?"

Several looked up, then returned to their games. One, however, just chuckled, a player with blue hair and glasses

"Hey. Welcome to the party. Name's Jay. You must be the Underdog guy, right? I guess they were desperate for new blood."

CyberV sighed.

"Oh, relax! I'm just kidding. I think... Anyway, don't mind them. They're just in the zone. It happens. Now, let's see..."

Jay began rattling off names, enough that it was very easy to zone out quickly. But three instantly drew his attention.

"Ummm... Who are they?" He couldn't help but stare as two girls went at it with everything they had in a non-holographic duel.

"That's Ashes and Nat. They both placed in the top ten at regionals. Ashes specializes in fire monsters, and Nat's considered the Queen of the Cyber Dragons."

"Raging Flame Sprite's about to take you down!" boasted Ashes.

"She'll have to get through my Cyber Dragon first, and that's not gonna happen." Nat grinned. They'd faced off once before, and Ashes was always a welcome challenge.

"They're... intense..."

"And hot?" asked CyberV.

"Yes."

"I like this school already."

"Smart man."

Another new student grabbed his attention as well, mainly by how she glared balefully at him, her eyes filled with... hatred?

"Who's she?"

"She's called Prodigal. Her real name's Hikari. She's a legacy."

"A legacy?"

"A duelist who's the son or daughter of a famous player. They usually inherit the skills of their parents."

"So, why is she staring at me like she's ready to rip out my throat?"

"Dunno. Maybe she just resents sharing a plane with someone who's never won a duel."

"..."

"...Gas? It could be gas."

CyberV sighed again. Ramesus stuck his head into the cabin.

"Okay, it's time to go. Everyone better buckle up, because we're off in two minutes."

Grudgingly, the new students did as they were told. Bags were quickly stored as everyone rushed for window seats. They needn't have bothered; there were plenty. Everyone kept their decks with them, as well as their inventories. Once everyone was situated, Ramesus sat down and buckled up as well, right next to CyberV.

"There's still a few windows left," he said.

"Yeah, I know. The Academy wanted me to look over your cards. They know you have potential, but they're concerned as to why it hasn't been realized."

"Here," he said, pulling out his Underdog deck. Ramesus took it and began looking through it.

"Ouch," muttered the older student. "That explains a lot. There's no theme, synergy, or style here. No one ever taught you about deck building?"

"Never had enough good cards to try," admitted the newcomer. "My inventory's pretty lame, too. Mostly commons and rares no one would want."

"Well, don't worry. The school's got a fairly extensive card library. But don't you have ANY cards really worth using?"

"Well, there are two I just got..." He reached into the card holder and brought out Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Rocket Warrior again.

"NOW we're talking. I bet between us, we could design a great Red-Eyes deck."

"Really?"

"Really. Heck, I have my inventory here, too. I've got about ten thousand cards and I've already perfected my deck. Let's take a look, see what we can do."

They felt the plane accelerate and take off. In moments, they were on their way to the Academy. As the other new students returned to their interrupted games, Ramesus brought out his dragon support inventory.

"We'll sideline Rocket Warrior for now. Red-Eyes is a powerhouse, and he deserves a powerful deck. I suggest we start with... two more."

Their work continued for the duration of the flight. As the time passed, Ramesus explained how the deck could be used for various combos, each powerful alone, but devastating together.

"And I think now, we can put Underdog to sleep once and for all," said Ramesus as CyberV took the cards not salvaged from the deck to make the new one, and placed them in his binder. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. There's a lot of bad memories with that deck."

"Well relax, this new deck we've built for you'll knock 'em dead. So, come up with a name for it yet?"

He thought for a moment, about the Duelist that had given him the Red-Eyes. "Red-Eyes Legacy."

"Legacy?"

"I have my reasons."

Ramesus shrugged. "Your call. Anyway, it's time I did that little introduction thing."

"Yeah. Might help."

Ramesus clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, new students, listen up! As you all know, you have been accepted in the Arcane Academy, one of the most prestigious dueling schools in the world. You have been selected for your skills and your drive. Upon arrival, you will be divided into three groups, based on the dueling style you prefer. Each style comes with a specific color uniform. Aggro style students will wear purple. Combos will have green. Control wears white."

"Tres ugly," muttered Ashes.

"Duly noted, but Duel Academy laid claim to red yellow and blue before we could, so just deal with it. Moving on. Upon arrival, you will each undergo an initiation duel. This is so the school can determine your strengths and weaknesses, and tailor your education to your specific needs. A select few will be invited to participate in one of our campus clubs. Invitations into these clubs can come at any time, from any member authorized to do so. If invited, you will have to pass a test, but, unfortunately, the majority of you will not be approached, and some approached will fail. I suggest you each prepare for your duels once I'm finished, because some of you will be invited DURING your initiation duels."

There were murmurs of excitement and confusion then.

"In any case, first years usually share rooms, two per room. Pick your roommates while you have a choice. Remember, there'll be more students coming from other areas as well."

"I claim Ashes!" yelled Nat.

"Can I claim asylum?" asked Nat.

"Hey," said Jay to CyberV. "You and me? I bet I could turn you into a winner."

"Beats being treated like an insect."

"Continuing..." said Ramesus, "there are a few ground rules. Unauthorized duels will not affect your rank within the school. Ante rules are illegal, and cause for immediate expulsion. Use common sense to figure out what else is not allowed. It's a co-ed dorm. Not a frat house. Remember, above all else, you are not to share anything you learn about the Academy with the outside world."

"Why is that?" asked Hikari. CyberV was surprised to hear her speak for the first time. He was also relieved that for the moment, she didn't want to rip out his liver.

"Because it gives the school a mystique. And it's cool. Anyway, that's pretty much all you really need to know about Arcane for now. We'll be landing shortly, and transportation is waiting to take us to the school. Initiation duels will begin as soon as we arrive, so use this time to finish preparing your decks. We want to see you at your very best today. Now get back in your seats."

As everyone bucked up again, Ramesus once more sat next to CyberV.

'You especially need to finish studying that deck. I'm YOUR initiation duelist."

"WHAT?! How is that fair? You know this deck as well as I do!"

"Exactly. I've eliminated the lousy cards. Now I need to see how you deal with an unfair disadvantage. And I warn you, I'm not gonna go easy on you."

Staring at the Legacy deck, CyberV wondered if it was going to be enough to be whatever Ramesus was about to throw at him.

* * *

The bus taking the students to the Academy was fairly nondescript, probably to keep anyone from tailing it to the Academy. The fewer people who knew how to get in, the fewer that could learn the secrets. While the other students were busy preparing their decks for their duels, CyberV was noticing the slight pulsing again, coming from the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"What's going on?" He didn't take his eyes off the card for the entire trip, not until they arrived.

The Academy itself was impressive enough to distract him from the pulsing card completely. It looked like the equivalent of a Hogwarts, but for dueling. A gigantic castle, seemingly based on the Castle of Dark Shadows.

"Amazing..."

"Yes," said Ramesus. "Now everyone, at the entrance, you will find a list of names. Locate your own, and go to the dueling arena specified for you. Your challengers are waiting. CyberV, you might as well just come with me."

The neophyte duelist nodded and followed. It didn't take him long to realize that they weren't headed for an arena.

"Where are we going?"

"There's something I need to show you before we begin. You see, your duel is far more than just an initiation. You are being invited onto my team."

"Your team? You mean one of the clubs you mentioned."

"Exactly. There are two clubs, the League of Good Duelists, and the League of Evil Duelists. The two groups stage mock-battles between the light and the dark."

"Why do that?"

"The school is based around an ancient Egyptian legend. Have you ever heard of the Millennium Items?"

"Anyone that's studied Yugi Mutou knows about them."

"Well, what isn't common knowledge is that there were actually more than seven items. There were three others. One, the Pyramid of Light, was destroyed after an accident at Kaibacorp's dueling arena about 12 years ago. The second, the Millennium Pendant, was split into two, and is still missing. The final one is supposedly here."

Ramesus opened a door into a massive hallway... And hanging on the far wall was a beautiful golden Scepter.

"The legends call it the Scepter of the Balance. It's powers are not well stated, but it's said that only the balance of power between good and evil can contain it's abilities. Personally, I think it's just a cheap carnival prize with some Kaibacorp holotech inside. In any case, it somehow chooses our new students. It really wanted you."

"Wow... That's the secret of Arcane Academy?"

"Yes. Now, what say we get on with your initiation duel? If you pass my test, you can join my team."

"Okay!" Both of them extended their Duel Disks to play mode.

"LET'S DUEL!"

Ramesus LP: 8000

CyberV LP: 8000

"I'll start things off, said Ramesus. "Oh, and for the record, the school trains students for endurance dueling, so we get 8000 lifepoints instead of 4000. They say it's to help us learn to deal with players who keep raising their lifepoints during a duel. Now, I place one monster facedown, and two spell cards facedown as well. And that's all for now."

Three holocards appeared.

CyberV drew his sixth card and looked at his hand. Immediately, he knew a good play to make.

"I play the magic card Polymerization!"

"Already?!"

"You got it! I'll combine the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and the King of the Swamp in my hand! Since King of the Swamp can take the place of half of a fusion combo, he'll mimic Summoned Skull as I create the Black Skull Dragon!" As he played the three cards, the gigantic dragon appeared, roaring defiance to the world around it.

B. Skull Dragon ATK/def: 3200/2500

"I also play Mystical Space Typhoon and remove the facedown card to your left!"

As he pointed to the card, it shattered.

"Nice," said Ramesus. "You destroyed gateway to the dark world. But that's not going to save you."

"It doesn't have to! Black Skull Dragon, destroy his facedown monster with Molten Fireball Blast!" The dragon roared and fired at the facedown card, shattering and revealing-

"Thanks. You just flipped my Cyber Jar. Say bye-bye to B. Skull Dragon."

Cyber Jar ATK/def: 900/900

"Oh no!" Cyber Jar opened it's maw wide, creating a vacuum. CyberV could only watch as Black Skull Dragon was sucked into it before the Jar exploded.

"And in addition, we each take the top five cards from our decks and summon all the level four or lower monsters to the field, but only after we show each other what we got"

Each quickly drew their five cards.

"My new cards," said Ramesus, "are Sillva, Kycco, Mystic Tomato, Forces of Darkness, and Brron!"

"Dark World monsters? Oh man... Now let's see... Double Coston, Magician of Faith, Red Eyes B. Chick, change of heart, call of the haunted."

"Now we summon our new monsters!"

Even as Ramesus said it, each new creature appeared.

Double Coston ATK/def: 1700/1650

Red Eyes B. Chick: 800/500

Magician of Faith: 300/400

Brron mad king of dark world ATK/1800 def/400

Mystic Tomato atk 1400 def/ 1100

Kycco atk 1800 def 700

"You should have summoned Magician of Faith and the Chick in defense mode," said Ramesus. "You really have a lot to learn. But you will."

"Man..." muttered CyberV, berating himself for his second mistake of the turn. "But don't worry, because Chick's not staying! I activate his special ability! You see, when the Chick is summoned to the field, it can be sacrificed to bring out Red-Eyes Black Dragon! So come on out and make your presence known!"

The Chick blew a plume of smoke before it began to grow, shattering it's shell as it matured into the awesomely powerful dragon known and feared for it's ferocity.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon:2400/2000

"Reveal trap!" yelled Ramesus as his facedown card revealed itself. "Mind Crush! Now I declare 1 card name! If it's in your hand, it goes to the graveyard. Otherwise, one of my own cards goes to the graveyard."

"And since Cyber Jar made me show you some of my hand, you don't need to guess!"

"Exactly, and I choose Call of the Haunted!"

Frustrated, CyberV discarded the resurrection trap to the graveyard. 'So much for bringing back Black Skull Dragon anytime soon...'

"And best of all, you ended your battle phase when you summoned Red-Eyes with Chick's effect, so you can't attack me anymore this turn."

"Then I guess I end my turn."

Ramesus smirked. "My turn. I set two cards down, and a monster facedown as well."

Three cards appeared.

"Now I play Card Destruction! We each discard our hands and draw new cards equal to the number we just sent to the graveyard."

Both duelists quickly did so.

"And guess what? I had two Dark World monsters in hand, but since I only have one open slot available, I'll special summon Beiige!"

Beiige ATK/1600 def/1300

CyberV didn't like where this was going. A complete monster roster, and he was incredibly vulnerable with Magician of Faith in attack mode.

"I'll switch Brron and Mystic Tomato to defense mode." The two monster knelt down. "And now I'll destroy your Double Coston with Kycco the Ghost Destroyer! Kycco, attack with Mystic Bead Exorcism!"

Kycco lashed out with it's holy beads, which wrapped around Double Coston, sending the monster to oblivion.

Ramesus LP: 8000

CyberV LP: 7900

"And now I'll activate Kycoo's special ability. Say goodbye to Double Coston permanently, and your precious Red-Eyes Black Dragon as well! Kycoo lets me remove two monsters from your graveyard, after all, and the last thing I want is you finding a way to use the basis for your deck for a quick seven or eight star powerhouse summon. Finally, I'll set one card facedown and end my turn."

Another card appeared behind Brron.

'Why didn't he attack my Magician of Faith? He could have done me a lot worse damage than just 100 lifepoints. He's just toying with me!' CyberV narrowed his eyes as he drew his card. He swore Ramesus would regret that mistake.

"Activate trap!" yelled Ramesus, as the card behind Brron rose up. "It's a nasty little customer called The Forces of Darkness. It lets me return two card with Dark World in their name to my hand. And I choose Gateway and Sillva."

The card faded as the two named cards were ejected from the graveyard and scooped up by Ramesus.

"Here we go..." CyberV looked at the card, then breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been waiting for that one. "I switch Magician of Faith to defense mode." The Magician knelt down and began praying. "And now I'll play the spell card Inferno Fire Blast." He placed it on the field, and it rose behind Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "Here's how it works. Normally, Red-Eyes could only attack one of your monsters, since your field is covered. However, when this card is played, it allows the Red-Eyes one direct attack on your lifepoints instead!"

"NO!"

"RED-EYES BLACK DRAGON, ATTACK RAMESUS DIRECTLY WITH INFERNO FIRE BLAST!"

The mighty dragon roared as he launched a massive fireball at Ramesus, who shielded his eyes as it struck him.

Ramesus LP: 5600

CyberV LP: 7900

"Now I place one monster facedown and end my turn."

"Nice move, but you should have attacked my monsters, because they're going to crush you before long. I activate the spell card Dragged Down into the Grave!" The card appeared on the field. "We each get to look at each other's hands and pick one. What we pick goes to the graveyard."

CyberV bit back a curse. He only had one card in his hand, and that was supposed to be his trump card for later. He would have played it last turn, but he wanted to remove Ramesus' monster advantage first. Now it was too late.

"Ah, the Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon. Tough loss, friend."

"Yeah, well you lose Gateway."

Ramesus shrugged. "Big deal. I switch Kycoo and Beiige into defense mode and end my turn."

"DRAW!" CyberV took a card from his deck. "REVEAL CYBER JAR! Now, just like before, all our monsters are sent to the graveyard and we each draw five cards. But you know the drill by now."

"Perfect," chuckled Ramesus. He quickly summoned his new monsters.

Broww 1400/800 (atk mode)

Newdoria 1200/800 (atk mode)

Scarr 500/500 (facedown)

"I also have Mystic Plasma Zone and Pot of Avarice."

"Mine are Swords of Revealing Light, Polymerization, Luster Dragon (1900/1600), Another B. Chick (800/500), Lord of D. (1200/1100). Chick and Lord in def, Luster in atk!"

The monsters appeared.

"Now, I activate a spell card! Graceful Charity! It lets me draw three cards as long as I discard two from my hand."

"I activate my trap card Dark Deal!" Just as CyberV drew his cards and discarded two, the trap on Ramesus's side of the first raised. "It adds an effect to Graceful Charity. It makes me discard one card from my hand, and I discard Sillva! But he isn't staying gone, because his special ability activates, and I get to summon him to the field! And still, there's more! Now you have to take two cards from your hand and return them to the bottom of your deck. Now, with only one card in hand, what are you gonna do? You've lost. Admit it. In a minute, I'm gonna trample you."

'He might be right,' realized CyberV as he tucked two cards at the bottom of his deck. 'The one card I've got is all I can play now, and if it doesn't pan out, he'll crush me completely!'

* * *

Elsewhere, a dueling arena stood empty, save for a single Duelist, who was getting most impatient.

"Something's wrong..."

Cursing inwardly, he had a bad feeling he knew what it was, and began running towards the great hall.

* * *

"Well? Make your move, so I can finish you off." Ramesus chuckled. He had the newcomer now. The deck might have been stronger, but the duelist himself still left much to be desired.

"You want my move, well here it is!" CyberV placed his last card into his Duel Disk. "I activate Pot of Greed! This spell card lets me draw two new cards!"

'And if they're not exactly what I need, I'm finished!' he added silently.

He reached for his deck, and felt the pulsing again, far stronger this time. Then, he heard the roar of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But he understood it like it was speaking english.

"I hear you, my friend. I don't understand what's going on, but I hear you..."

"Just believe in the heart of the cards," said a voice. He looked down to see his card holder glowing.

"Rocket Warrior?" he whispered. "What's going on?"

"I'm waiting..." said Ramesus. "What's keeping you?"

"Would you believe I'm having a conversation with a rocket and a dragon?"

Ramesus's eyes went wide. 'It can't be! He's discovered a duel spirit already? No... TWO DUEL SPIRITS! Those cards he was given... They're coming to life! What's going on?!'

"Okay, Rocket Warrior. I'll trust in the two of you. If you say to believe in the heart of the cards, then I will!" CyberV drew, and he was astonished.

"I told you," said the voice he knew belonged to Rocket Warrior. "As long as you believe, you will be strong."

"You were right, Rocket Warrior, and now I'm going to show Ramesus just how strong I can be! I activate Monster Reborn, and summon to the field Black Skull Dragon once more!"

Rising from the ashes, Black Skull Dragon roared defiantly.

Black Skull Dragon: 3200/2500

"And now I'll activate my other new card, Premature Burial! It costs me 800 lifepoints, but it lets me summon another monster from my graveyard, and I'll choose the one I discarded using Graceful Charity!"

"You WHAT?!"

CyberV LP: 7100

Ramesus LP: 5600

"I choose the almighty JINZO!"

A grave appeared, and a robotic fist smashed through it from below. Slowly, Jinzo rose from the dead to join Black Skull Dragon and the previously summoned monsters.

Jinzo: 2400/1500

"JINZO!? I didn't give you that card!"

"No, you didn't. My Underdog deck was lame, I admit, but it DID hold one or two decent cards, and those cards completely throw your knowledge advantage out the window! You may have been good enough to keep me from using Darkness Dragon and B. Skull Dragon until now, but you dismissed it Underdog too quickly, and now you're going to pay for that mistake! I'm taking you down!"

'I can't believe this! He actually turned the entire duel around with one card! How could he have drawn both those revival cards with Pot of Greed!?! It's not possible!' Ramesus braced himself.

"Now that Jinzo's in play, you can't activate any traps you might have on the field. And that leaves me free to take out your strongest monsters! JINZO! Attack Sillva with Psycho Shock Blast!"

Jinzo thrust his hand forward, energy crackling. He fired, and Sillva shattered.

CyberV LP: 7100

Ramesus LP: 5500

"Now, Black Skull Dragon, destroy Broww! Molten Fireballs!"

Black Skull Dragon obeyed, launching his attack once more. Broww shattered on impact with this mighty attack.

CyberV LP: 7100

Ramesus LP: 3700

"Normally, a duel would end right here. The only thing saving you from defeat is Arcane's practice of double lifepoints! I'd have Luster Dragon attack Newdoria, but I feel like keeping Jinzo around. That WAS what you were planning to do with his special ability, wasn't it? Send my trap defense back to the graveyard? Not happening."

"A wise decision. I can see that Arcane was right to invite you to attend. You prevented me from causing you serious damage to your lifepoints, you came back from unfair advantage, you saw through my Newdoria strategy. And you're correct. If this was a regulation match, you would have just won. You're stronger than I expected, and I've seen enough. You pass the test."

All the monsters and cards vanished, the duel ended prematurely.

'Glad that's over. I know he had Scarr facedown, and the last thing I wanted was giving him anymore hand advantage than he did already. But why did he just toy with me? Why didn't he destroy Magician of Faith when he had the chance? Attacking her would have done me serious damage and made me more vulnerable. Was he just playing nice, going easy on me because I'm just a beginner?'

"You still need to work on those careless mistakes, like the one you made with Cyber Jar, but you'll learn. In time."

"Why didn't you attack the Magician of Faith?"

Ramesus blinked. "Oh, that? I figured you were suffering enough from that mistake already. I try not to take too much advantage of beginners. It's not fair to exploit their inexperience, y'know? So, what do you say? Join my group?"

"Join Good? I'd be honored."

Ramesus chuckled. "Man, I'm the head of EVIL, not Good."

And as he said that, the Scepter of the Balance began to glow with an unearthly light.

"THE SCEPTER!" exclaimed Ramesus. "Something's happening!"

'That light... Where's it coming from? It can't be holographic like Ramesus said! And why would someone leading evil be so... nice?'

The Scepter's Wdjat symbol shone brightly, then shot a beam out at CyberV's head. Instantly, the young duelist's mind was filled with images of ancient Egypt.

He saw a great battle between good and evil. The brave Pharaoh fighting against the Thief using the power of the Gods.

'That guy looks like Yugi Mutou!'

He saw both fall, their souls sealed into Items. He saw the Arcane evolve from a caravan into the Academy of today.

He found himself lying before the Pharaoh, who regarded him gravely.

"You have finally come."

"I... have?" CyberV pulled himself up. "Where am I?"

"You are within the mystical memories of the Scepter of the Balance, young one, and it has chosen you to safeguard the balance."

"How do I do that?"

"You will know when the time comes. Be careful, Warrior of the Balance. Evil is growing in power, and if you cannot stop it, the world will be plunged into chaos and horror."

"But why me?"

"Because you have just chosen, albeit accidentally, to serve both the darkness and the light. You find yourself trapped between Good and Evil. Only one who is of both can control the power of this final Millennium Item, and protect the world from it. I wish you luck, Warrior. Your path is a difficult one, but I am certain you shall find a way."

The floor chose that moment to shatter under CyberV, and he found himself falling into the endless dark below.

"GAH!" He sat up, sweating. He was back in the great hall. "I'm not dead... I'm not dead... It was a dream. No strangely dressed Yugi. No ancient monsters. No collapsing floor... Just a dream."

"I'm afraid you're wrong." CyberV looked up to see someone he had yet to meet. "If you had those visions, I'm afraid bad things are about to happen. Where's Ramesus?"

"He's right..." CyberV looked around. Ramesus was nowhere to be found. And neither was the Scepter. "...Oh."

"I'm called LazyMan, and you were supposed to be at your initiation duel half an hour ago."

CyberV couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But Ramesus said HE was my initiation duel, and then he invited me to join his team and... Oh, getting a headache..."

"I was afraid of that. Get up."

Hesitantly, CyberV pulled himself off the floor of the great hall. "What's going on?"

"The Scepter, when it chose you to attend, failed to place you with good, evil, or neutral. That's never happened before. Normally, it selects one, and we base invitations to the two sides based on that. This time, we left it to a simple coin toss. Ramesus lost and I won."

"That means that YOU'RE-"

"The head of the Good Duelists, yes. I won the toss, and you were supposed to be tested by me. He must have shanghaied you to circumvent and outmaneuver me. Now where is the Scepter?"

"I don't know. I just remember saying that yes, I wanted to join good when Ramesus asked if I wanted to join his team, and then that light and those visions."

LazyMan sighed. "You joined both at once. And the Scepter chose you to be the Warrior. And now it's missing."

"But what does all that mean?"

"It means this... You MUST pass your initiation duel now. You HAVE to... Because if you don't, it's the beginning of the end of the world."

'The end of the world?! He means it! Ramesus was wrong! That thing WAS magic! And if it was magic, that means I've just doomed everyone!' CyberV had a sickening feeling that things were about to go downhill quickly, and he only had himself to blame. 'What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO NOW?!'

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Initiation Duel! Rise to the Challenge, Warrior!


	2. Initiation Duel! Rise to the Challenge

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh!: Arcane Chronicles...

In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh, in preparation for the final battle with the Thief Bakura, sent away a dangerous Millennium Item called the Scepter of the Balance, entrusting it to a group called the Arcane. The Arcane, made of rival factions, served as a karmic shield, containing it's powers for millennia, evolving into a dueling school years later. The two factions became allegories for good and evil, and continually replenished their ever-changing ranks with new students chosen by the Scepter itself.

In present day, a failing Duelist known as CyberV, after a chance encounter with dueling legend Joey Wheeler, is chosen by the Scepter, which failed to designate him for either side. Accepting the mysterious invitation to join the Arcane Academy, CyberV soon met a third year student called Ramesus, who challenged him to an initiation match... A fateful one. The duel ended prematurely, and it was revealed too late that Ramesus, despite all appearances, was the head of Evil instead of Good. Accidentally accepting both sides at once, CyberV was inundated with images of Ancient Egypt by the Scepter, and when he awoke, the Item was gone, as was Ramesus, leaving LazyMan, the true head of Good, to reveal that not only had CyberV been deceived, but that now only he could save the entire world from the coming darkness...

* * *

Breathing heavily, Ramesus ran, far and fast. In his hand, the Scepter had finally stopped glowing. He didn't know what the blasted thing had been doing to his new recruit, but he wasn't about to let it continue. When CyberV had started screaming, he'd grabbed the Item and bolted to put as much distance between the kid and the Scepter as humanly possible. 

By now, LazyMan had to have known about his trick, circumventing the result of their bet. Hijacking the new kid had been a risky move, but if the blasted thing couldn't place the rookie properly, he wanted to know why.

"Man, what am I gonna do with this thing? I can't just take it back... Stealing anything's an automatic expulsion if it's proven. And it might hurt him again anyway. No, I gotta keep moving. Until I can destroy it."

His conflict momentarily resolved, Ramesus ran faster, determined to annihilate the offending Item forever.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles 

Episode 2: Initiation Duel! Rise to the Challenge, Warrior!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Ikke, and Grrluvstacos

* * *

"I want the campus searched thoroughly," said LazyMan. "Find Ramesus and the Scepter." 

"Should we alert the rest of Evil, too?" asked Drift07, a second year.

"Absolutely not. There's every chance they might already be hiding Ramesus. He is their leader, after all. But you'd better let our 'arbitrator' know all the same."

"Right. And what about... Him?" Drift07 looked over at a very worried CyberV.

"He's my concern. He didn't know Ramesus led Evil when he agreed to join. He still needs his real Initiation."

"Is it true what they're muttering outside? The Scepter glowed? He spoke to the Pharaoh?"

"It is."

"THAT guy's the Warrior?"

"It chose him. And it's up to us to make sure he's up to the task."

"If he's not up to the task, then give it to me." Both Duelists turned to see two more of their number arrive. The one who spoke was the oldest among them. "I don't see why he should be the one to champion the Pharaoh's cause, especially since I'm the one who is of his bloodline."

"Back off, Ikke." warned LazyMan. "He did what you couldn't."

"He's a rank amateur without a victory to his name. Not only is he entirely unqualified, but I doubt he will ever BE qualified to champion the Balance. He should surrender the duties to me while there's still time."

"Calm down," said the second newcomer. She seemed antsy herself, having only been inducted into Good a few months prior. "It had to have had it's reasons. Maybe-"

"Maybe you should keep out of it," muttered Ikke. "No one asked you, Mouse."

"That's enough!" barked LazyMan. "Ikke, you have an initiation duel in ten minutes. I suggest you get ready for it. I'll send some of our senior members to scour the area. Drift, go get the Arbitrator and fill him in."

Drift nodded and rushed off. Muttering unkind things, Ikke slowly turned and left. Mouse started to go, but LazyMan indicated she should remain.

"Hold on. I might need you soon."

"Okay..."

"How did the initiations go?"

"Three of the new students passed their initiations. They're waiting in the dueling arena for Ikke's duel with Allis."

LazyMan nodded. "I'm going to be too busy dealing with this situation to test him myself. I want you to handle it, okay?"

"Me?"

"Yes. Remember what's at stake."

Mouse's eyes widened a little. "...I understand."

Lazyman turned away. "Make sure he sees Ikke in action. He needs to know how good he's going to need to become." With that, he turned and left. Once he was gone, Mouse turned towards the still somewhat shell shocked CyberV.

"I really messed things up, didn't I?" He looked sullen. "I shouldn't have trusted Ramesus."

"You couldn't have know," said Mouse. "Now come on. There's a lot you need to know and not much time to tell you."

Confused, he looked at her. "Is his a part of me having to save the world, because I'm still trying to grasp the concept."

"Yes. It's fairly new to me, too. I haven't been in this group very long, but I know enough. The others are searching for the Scepter. Right now, I think you need to see a real initiation duel."

"Why?"

"Because the tester is a direct descendant of the Pharaoh you met in your vision."

"...That was a Pharaoh? I just thought that Yugi Mutou'd taken to crossdressing. What was up with the skirt?"

"That was NOT Yugi Mutou. Now come on." Mouse half-dragged CyberV down the hall. "I realize this is a lot to accept..."

"You guys want me to be a superhero with ancient Egyptian magic and rescue the entire world from an imbalance between good and evil despite the fact I can't duel my way out of a paper bag. Yeah, it's a bit hard to swallow. Let this descendant have the job."

"Actually, he wants it, but it isn't his to take, nor is it your's to surrender. Destiny is a fickle mistress, or so I'm told. You may not want this role, but it's your's all the same."

"There's still the total lack of ability."

"I thought you were holding your own with Ramesus."

"He was toying with me. He could have crushed me several times if he'd wanted to."

"The Academy will train you. WE will train you. But for now, we are here, in the Good League's private duel chamber."

She opened the door, and suddenly CyberV was astonished, for beyond the door were dozens, perhaps hundreds of students, all waiting for the performance that was about to occur. From the bits and pieces he could understand, most of the students had no idea what this initiation really was. Only a handful here or there seemed to understand.

"No way all of these are members of your league."

"You're right. Most of these are unaffiliated students, or students who failed to pass the test."

"I see... JAY!" CyberV suddenly felt a little better. Sitting close by was his new friend from the plane.

"HEY!" Jay was grinning.

"I see you already know one of Good's new members," said Mouse. "The others should be here, though."

"We are," said Nat from behind CyberV and Mouse. "That was easy. I'd hoped for a challenge."

"You are SUCH a showoff," sighed Ashes. "So, why's the Underdog getting the grand tour?"

"He'll be having his initiation shortly."

Ashes was understandably confused. "I thought we were all taking them simultaneously... And weren't you supposed to be doing it with Ramesus?"

"It's a long story," said CyberV. "And it's enough to say that I've been charged with saving the world from eternal darkness."

"...Well, we're hosed."

"That's what I said, Nat." He sighed.

"So, is this some kind of Yugi emulation deal? I mean, he always claimed he was dueling to save the world, but I never thought he meant it." Jay was getting worried now.

"He meant it," said Mouse. "And CyberV here means it now."

"Wild... Next, you'll be telling me that you want the three of us to help him get better."

Mouse raised an eyebrow. "The boy catches on quick."

All three initiates blinked.

"You want US to help HIM? He's a LOSER!" Nat couldn't believe this.

"I'm not sure there's much we can do," said Ashes. "I mean, his deck is infamous. And not in a good way."

"Well, I know I'm game," said Jay. "Always did enjoy a challenge."

CyberV sweatdropped. "Thanks guys. I can HEAR you, ya know..."

"We know."

He flopped.

"Now hush," said Ashes. "The duel's about to start. I heard this Ikke guy's got a perfect win record. He's never been beaten, and he usually wins in eight turns or less."

They all turned their attention towards the center arena, as two duelists entered. One was a stunning female duelist, who nonetheless cringed as she came into the light. CyberV could sympathize. He knew what it was like to have that kind of pressure on.

"Who is she?"

"Her name's Allis," said Mouse. "She's a second year like me. She was invited to join last week."

"So those invites DO come randomly."

"Only when we see potential. Ah, Ikke's coming into view."

CyberV's eyes widened. "HEY! That's the guy you were with before! HE'S the unbeaten champ?!"

"Yes, and in a moment, you'll see why. Oh, and so you know? Allis doesn't have that much better a record than you."

"You mean no wins, one tie, and a billion losses?"

"...I take it back. She's got a WAY better record."

He flopped again.

"Cut that out," snapped Mouse. "Pay attention and learn."

Ikke eyed his opponent carefully, assessing her strengths and weaknesses even as she shuffled her deck. But even now he knew that there was someone in the stands that had stupidly stolen his destiny. This duel was going to be a personal message to the fool.

Allis couldn't help her shaking hands. She was practically trembling with fear. Why, of all people, had she been pared against someone the school called invincible?!

"Stop your pathetic cringing. It's time to duel." Ikke placed his Duel Disk in play mode. Hesitantly, Allis did as well. "And now, you go down in flames. I'll start this duel off by playing the magic card Two Man Cell Battle."

He placed it into his disk, and it appeared on the field.

"W-What's that?"

"This allows me to summon a normal monster at the end of each turn. Which means you're already outnumbered. Especially once I summon my loyal Luster Dragon!"

Luster Dragon appeared from nothing, shining like sapphires.

Luster Dragon: 1900/1600

"And I'll also set one card facedown for later. And now that I'm ending my turn, I can also summon a new monster. I think Insect Knight will do nicely."

A card appeared between the two duelists, and Insect Knight appeared, brandishing his sword.

Insect Knight: 1900/1600

"O-Okay... I'll place one card facedown," said Allis as she set her disk to play mode. The card appeared on the field. "And I'll sacrifice your two monsters!"

Ikke's eyes narrowed. He'd expected this mode.

"Say hello to Lava Golem!"

Insect Knight and Luster Dragon screamed as they were engulfed by lava, as a gigantic mound of it arose from the ground. At the same time, a cage materialized around Ikke, trapping him.

Lava Golem: 3000/2500

"I end my turn."

"That's not good," said CyberV. "Even I know that it's better to have one defense monster than to give your opponent a major bruiser like that. What was she thinking?"

"Nice move. Now on each of my standby phases that the Golem's on the field, I'll lose 1000 life points. Of course, you've foolishly left your life points wide open, save a single facedown card. And now..."

He drew, and grinned as he saw what he had. At the same time, the lava rushed into the cage, and he scowled. If it had been a shadow game, he would have needed new shoes. That annoyed him.

Ikke: 7000

Allis: 8000

"NOW, I SHOW YOU HOW I PUNISH STUPIDITY! LAVA GOLEM, ENGULF HER WITH LAVA GRASP!" Lava Golem responded, bending forward and enclosing Allis in his massive hand. As he pulled away, everyone could see the cringing girl was on her knees, terrified.

Ikke: 7000

Allis: 5000

"And next turn, you're crushed. And here's why. I sacrifice your pathetic Lava Golem to bring out the fearsome Great Maju Garzett!"

Lava Golem faded away as, from the shadows, a great fiend arose.

Great Maju Garzett: 6000/0

"And since he gets double the attack points of whatever's tributed to summon him, he now has more than enough to finish you off on my next turn. So much for your pitiful strategy."

"Maybe, maybe not," SAID Allis hesitantly as she struggled to get up onto her feet. "When Lava Golem attacked, it activated my trap card. Inferno Tempest!"

The card on her field rose.

"This destroys all the monsters in our decks and graveyards, removing them from play, making your Cell Battle useless."

"Like I care. I end my turn. Now make your move so I can end this. I'm getting bored, and I have more important matters to attend to." He glanced at the arena seats, focusing on CyberV instinctively. 'I'm coming after YOU next, fool.'

"Okay... I play Heavy Storm to destroy all the magic cards on your side of the field."

Right on cue, the card appeared, and a massive tide arose, washing away Ikke's facedown and his Cell Battle. He didn't seem to care.

"And now I summon Gren Maju Da Eiza." The dragon appeared on the field. "And since his attack and defense become the number of monsters removed from my deck times 400..."

Gren Maju Da Eiza: 6000/6000

"GREN! Destroy Great Maju Garzett!" The dragon flew forward, only to be caught by Great Maju Garzett. Struggling for a moment, both monsters erupted and died.

"Mutual destruction. And a high price to pay to destroy just one monster. Stupid. Wasteful. Pathetic. My turn."

He drew. "I summon Gemini Elf."

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

The twin Elves appeared.

"ATTACK HER DIRECTLY!"

The Gemini Elf nodded and darted forward, slugging the outmatched Allis with spectral fists.

Ikke: 7000

Allis: 3100

"Now I'll set the card that will finish you." He placed a facedown, which appeared on the field.

"He's practically screaming that it's a trap," said Ashes. "She'd be foolish to attack him right now."

"She's scared," said CyberV, seeing far more of himself in Allis than he liked. "She lost this duel long before she played her first card. She's so nervous that she isn't thinking clearly."

"I play Premature Burial!" Allis placed the card in her disk. As it appeared, she continued. "It's costs me 800 life points, but it lets me bring back one of my monsters, in this case, Gren Maju Da Eiza!"

From the graveyard, a great dragon broke through the surface to take it's place by the girl's side.

Gren Maju Da Eiza: 6000/6000

"I may be scared," said Allis, "But now you'll show me the respect I deserve. Destroy Gemini Elf, Gren!"

The monster reared and let loose a mighty flame at the Elf, but Ikke, disgusted at his easy victory, sighed. "You activated Magic Cylinder. This repels your attack and sends it right back at you."

He was right. The flames entered one Cylinder, and exited the other, aimed right at Allis. She couldn't do anything but shield her eyes as it struck her, sending her flying halfway across the arena before she landed in a heap, crushed.

LP: 0

By the time she looked up, Ikke had already turned away and was exiting the arena. "You fail. Loser."

Dejected, the girl was simply too stunned to move. In the audience, CyberV didn't like what he was seeing. "Man... He annihilated her like she was nothing."

"Just like anyone here will do to you unless you improve dramatically," said Mouse. "You have three hours. I suggest you get ready."

He blinked. "Ummm... I don't have to face HIM, do I?"

"No. Me."

He slapped his forehead. "Oh, I am NOT falling for THAT line again. I mean, at least when Ramesus used it, I didn't know to expect it and all, but you couldn't lie your way out of a paper bag and-"

KRAK!

"Three hours."

On the floor, nursing a new bump on the head courtesy of the ironically named Mouse's fist, CyberV nodded meekly. "Yes ma'am."

Jay exchanged glances with Ashes and Nat. This wasn't gonna be easy.

* * *

Ramesus looked at the impressive dent the Scepter had made in the tree. He'd been trying for the last ten minutes to shatter it by smashing it against trees and rocks and whatever else he could find. So far, the Scepter was winning this contest of endurance. The area around him, not so much. 

Cursing inwardly, he looked around and ran on, finally reaching the edge of the school grounds. Beyond it was the city itself, and a billion places to get rid of the Scepter once and for all. It was the work of seconds to open the gate and leave.

Almost immediately, he saw an opportunity. A sewer grate, slightly askew. No one would ever find the Scepter if it was swept away in the filth and muck. Glancing around, he could see no one in view. Taking the Scepter in hand, he tossed the Scepter at the opening.

Or tried to, anyway.

'I-I can't let go! I'm straining my hand as much as I can, but it won't respond!'

He grabbed the Scepter with his free hand to pry it free, but even that was futile. His grasp on the Scepter was like a vice, and he could not budge it.

'This can't be real! It can't be happening! There's no way this could be magic! Magic's just something they made up to explain the school's history!'

Panicked, Ramesus turned away from the grate. Immediately, he felt his hand's grip relax. Stunned, all he could do was look at the Scepter of the Balance.

"What... What are you?"

It pulsed in his hand. And just outside his vision, the shadows seemed to become... excited.

* * *

"Oh come on!" moaned Nat. "Pick a strategy so we can hurry up and watch you lose!" 

"Your faith in my abilities is most reassuring..." muttered CyberV, sighing as he went through the card inventory in the school shop. Thus far, it had been a frustrating hour. He'd quickly picked up the basics every deck had, as well as some powerhouses and effect monsters that would be useful, but it still lacked a central theme.

"Maybe you should try a bit of a pot luck deck. I mean, it worked for Joey Wheeler."

"His deck," said Ashes, "was a gamble deck based on warriors. Not a pot luck."

"Considering he got blown up by his Time Wizard a couple times, I'd say his luck went to pot all right."

CyberV ignored them. The way they were going on, he'd never complete the deck. He almost didn't notice as his deck began glowing.

"Ah, ignore those three," said a voice he recognized. He looked up to see a familiar face.

"Rocket Warrior?" he said softly. "So that WAS you helping me before."

"Yeah. You and Red made a good team, but it's time you and me got to work. Now, you gotta focus... Just relax, and remember, sure, the world's at stake, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun."

"Hard to have fun when everyone needs you to win. And you've never won a duel."

"So all you gotta do is make the opponent sweat as much as you do, right?"

CyberV blinked, and Rocket Warrior began fading away.

"Weird..." he muttered before turning back to the inventory. "But what COULD make an expert sweat as much as a rookie?" He glanced over the pages for a moment, then saw it. "Perfect. Now all I need is a psyche tactic." He chuckled. "And I think I know just the one."

"You know he'll lose. Losing is his talent. A casino would love him." Nat yawned. "You done yet? There's still time to watch you go down in flames AND catch a movie in town."

"Yeah," said CyberV, a new look in his eyes. A determined one. "I'm more than ready."

"...Did he just go intense?" asked Ashes.

"Yeah. Did he just pull a Yugi on us?" Jay was surprised CyberV felt so confident all of a sudden.

"Half the game is attitude," said Nat. "Maybe it'll help him last more than two turns."

"Enough." said CyberV sharply, but without anger. "The time for talk is over. I've got a world to save." And with that, he left.

The three exchanged glances. Then snickered.

"Poser."

"He's sweating."

"Hope he's not gonna wet himself..."

* * *

Drift was panting heavily. Running through the entire school wasn't fun, but sometimes it was the only way to find the Arbitrator. 

"You shouldn't run through the halls like that," said a familiar voice. "The teachers might give you detention."

Relieved, Drift turned to face the Arbitrator. A few years ago, he had come to this school, invited because of his experience with the Millennium Items. Ever since, he'd stayed on as a dueling tutor, helping students with difficulties in their gaming strategies.

"There's a problem," said Drift. "Ramesus... He... stole the Scepter."

The Arbitrator's eyes widened. "WHAT!? Oh no!" That was the worst news he could have expected. "What happened?"

Drift quickly relayed the story, as best he knew. When he was done telling him that there were already search parties, the Arbitrator nodded.

"It's probably already too late. Those things have a way of causing trouble in the wrong hands. Come on, I think I need to see the initiation duel. If it's chosen an owner, we need to know how he'd use it."

Without another word, the Arbitrator began making his way towards the Good Duelists' private dueling arena.

After a moment, Drift, exhausted, followed, wishing he'd invested in softer pillows. After this, he was gonna need them.

* * *

"It's time." Ikke said as he stood by one of the entrances to the arena. 

"I suppose it is," agreed LazyMan.

"Any word on Ramesus?"

"None. No sign of the Scepter either."

"I should join in the search then."

"No. One more pair of eyes at this point wouldn't change anything. I want you here, to assess the duel."

"What's to assess? I know that look, LazyMan. You're throwing the newbie a wiffle ball because he's not ready for the big leagues."

LazyMan sighed and looked Ikke in the eyes. "I never could fool you, could I? We need him to pass, Ikke. More than just dueling skill is needed to truly be the Warrior. If that's all it took, it would have chosen you three years ago."

"So you're saying this idiot has something I don't?"

"You'll see. I hope."

They both turned their attention to the arena as the duelists entered. Mouse, now sporting her Duel Disk, was all business. No one could see the slightly disappointed look in her eyes.

As CyberV entered, sporting for the first time one of the school's standard Disks, he was still all business.

"Huh. That's different," muttered Lazyman.

"Is that him?" asked the Arbitrator as he and Drift entered. "The one that the Scepter chose?"

Lazyman nodded. "Yes. Raw potential, but he's not harnessed it yet. Glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss it. I just hope the Shadow Games aren't starting again." He shuddered. It had been a horrid time for him, all those years ago.

"Are you ready?" asked Mouse as she switched her disk to play mode.

"I am." Then CyberV took an odd battle stance. "IT'S DUELING TIME!" He thrust his fist forward, in what was unmistakably a short emulation of Japanese hero posing.

CyberV LP: 8000

Mouse LP: 8000

Watching from ground level, the other sweatdropped.

"Dork."

"Twit."

"At least he doesn't have a helmet..."

"THAT'S your Warrior?" asked the Arbitrator, thrown for a loop.

"Oh crud, he's lost it..." muttered LazyMan.

"If you're done posing like a clown, let's get moving!" Mouse drew her sixth card. "I'll place two cards facedown, and a monster facedown as well."

Three cards appeared on the field.

"That's all."

CyberV nodded. "Fine by me. If I've gotta go through you to save the world, that's just what I'm gonna do!"

Rocket Warrior, amused, appeared beside him. "Ummm... Dude, are you pretending you're a Power Ranger or something, because, really, you're embarrassing yourself."

"Cut it out..." muttered CyberV. "It's the only way I'm getting through this without collapsing in a nervous heap."

"Fine. Humiliate yourself." Rocket Warrior shrugged. "But don't expect me to call the Zords, okay? Sheesh. All the duelists in the world, and I wound up with the Japanese pop culture nut."

Ignoring the commentary from the Duel Spirit, CyberV drew. "I'll place two cards facedown, too. And then I'll play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards."

The two cards appeared as he drew again.

"And the drawing fun's not done, because now I'm playing Graceful Charity." He placed it into a magic slot, and an angelic woman appeared, creating a holy rain. "It lets me draw three more cards, as long as I send two cards from my hand to the graveyard."

"I know what it does," said Mouse. "Are you done?"

He selected two cards and sent them away.

"Of course not. Jumping to conclusions? Dangerous move. Especially since one of the cards I just discarded was a monster, and I've got Monster Reborn right in my hand!"

He placed Monster Reborn into his disk and it appeared.

'What monster could it be,' wondered Mouse. She knew he'd discarded his Underdog deck, but there was every chance it was that Red-Eyes Black Dragon she knew he had, or the HyoZanRyu from that first deck. Either would be difficult to fight.

"Arise... GILFORD THE LIGHTNING!" Light shone, and from nothing came one of the mightiest warriors in all of Duel Monsters.

Gilford the Lightning: 2800/1400

"GILFORD THE LIGHTNING?!" exclaimed Mouse. She'd no idea that this newcomer possessed such a powerful card. She was just grateful that the way he was summoned precluded the use of his special ability. "I activate my trap card! Jar of Greed!" One of her facedowns rose up and shattered. "This trap allows me to draw one new card!" She did so.

'Why would she use that trap instead of one that could destroy Gilford? I can think of a dozen off the top of my head that would have done the trick.' Shrugging, CyberV continued. "Finally, I play Wave-Motion Cannon, which, when removed from my side of the field, will allow me to do damage to your life points equal to the number of my standby phases it's been active times 1000."

The Cannon appeared on the field, on the far right of Gilford. Mouse glared. Another deadly card, one especially detrimental to her strategy. Not that it truly mattered.

"Now, since I don't know what your monster is, I won't attack just yet. Not knowing that or the name of your remaining facedown card worry me. I'll end my turn."

"And I'll make sure you don't have many more! I draw!"

"And that activates my trap cards!" CyberV smiled as the first one rose. "Meet Bad Reaction to Simochi. It takes all effects that would raise your life points, and reverses them."

"Why would he use that?" asked Ashes. "She's not using effects like that."

Jay blinked. "Maybe he is. Didn't he say he had more than one trap?"

"That won't slow me down at all," scoffed Mouse.

"No, but this will. My second trap card, the Eye of Truth!" The second card arose, revealing a massive eye. "Now, this is a very useful trap card. Once activated, it lets me see your hand at all times."

"WHAT?! NO!" Mouse couldn't believe it. That was worse than the Wave-Motion Cannon. Once she was forced to show her hand, he'd know her entire strategy.

"Now, it does have a side effect. Every turn you have a magic or trap in your hand, you gain 1000 life points. But that's where Bad Reaction comes in. Now, each turn your hand has one, you'll LOSE 1000 instead! So let's see your hand!"

"Here," said Mouse, resigned. There as nothing she could do to prevent him from seeing her strategy now." Revealed were Kuriboh, Des Lacooda, Dark Factory... And two limbs of Exodia. As he saw the Right Arm and Left Leg, he narrowed his eyes.

"You use an Exodia deck. Lots of stall, lots of drawing. Too bad for you my spells and traps work perfectly on those kinds of decks. I'm not gonna let you pull out Exodia, Mouse. And the Eye of Truth will be my guide!"

Mouse's Duel Disk sparked for a moment, and her life points decreased.

CyberV LP: 8000

Mouse LP: 7000

"I reveal my monster," said Mouse. "Des Lacooda!" The monster appeared

Des Lacooda: 500/600

"This monster's special ability lets me flip it facedown one per turn in my main phase. When I do that, I get to draw a card." She drew, and CyberV got to see that it was the trap Waboku. "Now, I'll set one more magic card facedown, and flip Des Lacooda back to defense mode."

'She laid down Waboku, and she has Kuriboh in hand. Attacking her is useless. If I attack her, she'll activate her trap, and it'll do no damage. OR, I attack and she tosses Kuriboh, in which case, again, no damage. She and I are in a waiting game... And the clock's running out. If she's playing her deck right, she should have more pieces of Exodia soon.'

"That's all." said Mouse.

"My turn!" CyberV drew and automatically placed his card in a magic slot. "I play Upstart Goblin! This magic card lets me draw one card from my deck, and gives you 1000 life points. But then Bad Reaction activates again, and it costs you instead."

Her disk sparked.

"Oh come on. You HAVE to be able to do better than this."

CyberV LP: 8000

Mouse LP: 6000

"I assure you, I'm playing the best I can." She glanced up at LazyMan, who returned the glance.

"I hope so. I place one card facedown and that'll do." The card appeared on the field.

Mouse drew.

"TRAP CARD!" CyberV smirked. "My Dust Tornado says that your Waboku's going bye bye." Heavy winds picked up, and the facedown Waboku shattered. Then, he looked to see Card Destruction was in her hand now. "Ouch. Not good for your life points, but you should have played Dark Factory before. Woulda cut your chances of losing another 1000 by half."

CyberV LP: 8000

Mouse LP: 5000

"I place one monster and one spell card facedown," said Mouse. He couldn't help noticing that Dark Factory and the second Des Lacooda were now missing from her hand. "And now I play Card Destruction. That means we both discard our current hands to the graveyard and draw cards equal to the number discarded." She drew. He could now see that her hand was Spirit Reaper, Waboku, and Gravity Bind.

"And now I activate Dark Factory, which brings back my Exodia pieces to my hand!" The card raised and her graveyard spat out the limbs. "I flip Des Lacooda and draw again!" The monster switched to attack mode and she drew Level Limit Area-B. "And now, back to defense mode!" She drew, even as the monster again vanished beneath it's card. CyberV didn't bother to look at the card this time. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't kosher.

"I draw, and play Snatch Steal!" He placed the card on the field. "It lets me permanently take one of your monsters, and gives you 1000 life points for each standby phase he's mine. And I choose your defense mode Des Lacooda."

The monster vanished from her side of the field and appeared on his. "And I'll switch him to attack mode, so I can draw a new card." He drew, but didn't bother switching the monster to facedown defense position. It wasn't necessary anymore. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop throwing this match."

"She's WHAT?!" exclaimed Rocket Warrior.

"He knows," said Ikke. "At least he's observant."

"She's cheating?" muttered Ashes. "Why?"

"No idea," said Nat, "But I'm kicking myself for not seeing it. She's had a lot of chances to ditch her magic and trap cards onto the field to save life points. She could have also been flipping that second Des Lacooda each turn to get closer to her Exodia pieces. He's right. She's throwing the match."

"I-I'm not!" protested Mouse feebly.

"Yeah, right. What, did LazyMan think I couldn't win a duel on my own? He thought I needed someone holding my hand? Or is he just desperate to prove himself right and have me pass the test?"

Murmurs arose from the arena's attendees. Unhappy murmurs.

"It... It's not like that. The world's future is more important than my dignity."

"What about your integrity? I'm a lousy duelist. I admit it. But I duel with honor. And you're not. I end my turn. Now duel me for real, blast it!"

Unable to meet his gaze, she drew the Swords of Revealing Light, and watched her disk spark.

"And now both Snatch Steal and Eye of Truth activate. But you knew that."

CyberV LP: 8000

Mouse LP: 3000

"I set one monster facedown," said Mouse. A card appeared on the field.

"It's pointless, isn't it? You're not even pretending to take this duel seriously now." CyberV was visibly upset. "And I know it's not because of the Cannon.

Mouse nodded meekly. It was about to be three turns since the Wave-Motion Cannon was activated. Now, as soon as her turn, if she could even call it that, ended, he could remove it from the field and destroy her life points completely, without having had to attack her once.

"If you agree to duel me for real, I won't activate the cannon. I give you my word as a Duelist."

She looked up, but all he could see was shame. "FACE ME FOR REAL, BLAST IT!"

"I flip Des Lacooda to attack mode and draw." She spoke as one dead, and drew Penguin Soldier. "And back again." She flipped it back and drew again. Sighing, she just dropped her arms to her sides. The little bit of fight in her at the start of the match was nonexistent now.

"Go ahead," she said. "Finish it."

"No." said CyberV, surprising everyone. "I said I wanted a real duel. This is your last chance to face me for real! Well?"

She made no response. Completely let down, CyberV looked away. "I sacrifice Des Lacooda to summon Mobius, the Front Monarch."

Des Lacooda and Snatch Steal vanished as a frosty giant appeared on the field.

Mobius the Frost Monarch: 2400/1000

"And his special ability activates, destroying your Gravity Bind." Mobius thrust an icy fist out, and her facedown shattered. Both Mobius and Gilford turned to face their master, who couldn't look up at an opponent that had just robbed him of having his first victory be an honorable one. Rocket Warrior hovered closer as well.

"What's wrong? You're gonna win."

"I've won nothing. This entire duel's a farce. I hope you're happy, Mouse. AND I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, LAZYMAN!" he yelled out loud. "I WANTED TO WIN IN A FAIR FIGHT, AND YOU'VE ONLY BROUGHT ME SHAME FOR MY FIRST WIN! I DESERVED BETTER THAN THIS, AND SO DID SHE! How DARE you force another duelist to degrade themself for your agenda!"

LazyMan looked away.

"Now do you see, Ikke? Even knowing all of this, he still cares about his opponent's feelings. As I recall, earlier today, you told a failed recruit she was a loser. Hardly someone with the emotional balance to wield the Scepter, wouldn't you agree?"

"Did you have to take away her dignity just to prove that point?" asked Ikke. Disgusted for the second time in the Arena today, he turned and left.

"Well?" asked LazyMan. "You gonna scold me too?"

"No," said the Arbitrator. "I think the new kid's doing better job of that than I ever could."

"Man..." muttered Jay. "This is harsh."

"I agree," said Ashes. "No one wins here today. Mouse just lost her credibility. LazyMan's losing respect. And CyberV just lost his chance to get his career to a positive start. He'll pass the test, but there wasn't any way he could have failed."

"Mouse, your actions today were a disgrace. LazyMan's disgrace. I hope that the next time we face off, you come ready to win."

Confused, she looked up. "You... You'd duel me again?"

"I WILL. I don't consider this a true duel. When I see the fire in your eyes, THEN, we'll have this duel for real."

"You still need to finish the test."

"I know. But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."

Mouse nodded. "Until next time?"

"Next time." said CyberV. "Mobius, you can still destroy one card on the field. Destroy the Wave Motion Cannon and end this embarrassment for everyone."

Mobius nodded and blasted frozen air at the Cannon, which shattered. As it did, it fired, striking Mouse. She didn't flinch, the first thing she'd done the entire duel to show her true caliber.

CyberV LP: 8000

Mouse LP: 0

"Dude..." muttered Rocket Warrior as the monsters faded. After a moment, he did as well. The crowds began moving out of the arena, disappointed at the lack of action and sportsmanship.

CyberV turned away as the explosion hologram faded. He'd intended a victory pose, but this was no victory. It was worse than a defeat. The others moved to join him.

"Never seen anyone throw a duel like that before," said Nat. "That's just wrong. I thought we were supposed to be the GOOD GUYS."

"There's always bad apples on any team," said CyberV. "And I think we've just found our's." He glanced up at LazyMan again. He silently swore that he would face Mouse again, in a fair battle. Win or lose, at least he'd know the real outcome.

"Maybe we should go get unpacked, huh? We still need to find our rooms." Jay grinned a grin he didn't really feel like wearing. "I just hope they're better than the Slifer Red dorm at Duel Academy."

Ashes shuddered. "God forbid."

"I want to thank you guys," said CyberV, out of the blue. "I know I'm never going to be the best there is, but if there's one thing I do know, it's how to spot true friends. And that means more than a thousand victories."

"Oh god, I think I'm gonna vomit. What's with the Hallmark garbage all of a sudden?" Nat groaned.

"It's just, for the first time, I don't feel like... like I'm alone."

"You're not alone." said Jay. "And this save the world thing? We can handle it, right ladies?"

"We'll see," said Ashes.

"I'm NOT doing the group hug bit," muttered Nat.

"THAT'S the spirit," said Jay, fully recognizing the irony.

'Spirits,' corrected CyberV, silently, as out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rocket Warrior and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

As the four walked away, a fifth student watched them go. Hikari watched the fading figure of CyberV, and glared daggers at his back.

"You'll get your's soon enough," she muttered, before turning and walking the other way.

"Well," said Drift, "He passes."

"Yes." said LazyMan. "I just hope we can turn this around."

Another second year member rushed in. "Sir, we can't find any trace of the Scepter. It's not on campus anymore."

"Then, where is it?"

"Wherever it is," said the Arbitrator, "we need to find it. I'll do everything in my power to help. I could have Kaibacorp security scour the city."

"I hope it doesn't come to that... Mokuba..."

* * *

Across campus, senior members of the League of Evil were rather bored. And boredom on a campus often led to gossip. 

"I heard Ramesus just got kicked out of school for stealing." Jimbo snickered. "That mean you're back in control?"

The senior called Greekman shook his head. "No. He isn't foolish enough to get expelled. But something's wrong."

"M-Maybe the Scepter zapped him?" suggested the one called Dark Shroud. This Egyptian magic stuff creeped him out.

Several more, Carly, Poison, Mikey and Sonny, just snickered.

"Get a backbone," sighed Sonny. "No one believes that bunk. It's just some fairy tale they made up to keep people from spilling the school's secrets."

The doors to their dorm burst open. Silhouetted by the light and shadows, was Ramesus. "Then it's time to BELIEVE."

He strode into the room, confident, radiating a newfound presence that was indefinable but enticing. "I've just had the most amazing adventure, and rest assured, from now on, the Evil Duelists are going to rule this school hands down."

Greekman shrugged. "I've heard that kind of bragging before. Especially from myself. How do you think I lost control to you?"

"Oh, but I'm not bragging... I speak the truth, and the truth has set me free... As it will for all of you... Starting now, we're in control..."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Carly. "What's your secret?"

"Let's just say I've got a new outlook on life."

* * *

Somewhere in the city, the Scepter of the Balance no longer glowed. Instead, it radiated a thin miasma... of darkness... 

Next time: Darkness Rising! Jay Stands for Justice!


	3. Darkness Rising! Jay Stands for Justice!

1Previously, on YuGiOh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Accidentally setting off an ancient prophecy, Ramesus caused the summoning of a foretold shadow duelist called the Warrior of the Balance, in reality a currently inexperienced duelist called CyberV. Concerned and somewhat afraid, Ramesus stole the Millennium Item called the Scepter of the Balance, and attempted to destroy it. However, the Scepter refused to allow this, and Ramesus became aware of it's power... and embraced it. Meanwhile, CyberV passed his second initiation duel to join Good, but realized that the test was fixed.

* * *

"It's about power," said Ramesus. His eyes tracked each member of his group, the League of Evil Duelists, and he could see that he had their full attention. "I wouldn't blame you for being skeptical. I myself didn't believe in the power of the Millennium Items... Not until just a few hours ago. But now I know that I was wrong, and that the Scepter will grant us all the infinite power of the Shadow Realm."

"What kind of power are we talking about?" asked Mikey, skeptical.

"The power to manipulate the mind. To make monsters real. To crush the souls of those that oppose us if we wish. The Scepter has told me all this and more. Even in just the last twenty years, these events played out. One called Bakura gained an Item, and he, in turn, nearly crushed all who opposed him. Another, Marik, banished many innocents to another realm, leaving their bodies behind, mindless. You ever heard of Maximilian Pegasus? He had this power, and he even once sealed the soul of the legendary duelist Seto Kaiba in a card! THAT is the power we will have."

"You mean the power YOU'LL have," said Sonny. "You have this Scepter, not us."

"True, I possess it," said Ramesus. "But understand, the Scepter controls the balance of power between good and evil. And while I possess it, all who serve under me will benefit, to a lesser extent, from the power."

"So why don't we feel any different?" asked Poison.

"Because it has only started tapping into the power," said Ramesus. "In time, you will feel it. For now, enjoy the fear you will be able to create. Already, the Shadow Power is enough already to make lesser duelists tread lightly."

Carly nodded silently. She definitely felt different... Stronger. Maybe it was Ramesus' new confidence, but something had changed.

"What about your new recruit? Shouldn't he be here for this lecture?" Greekman had a bad feeling about the absence.

"CyberV? Oh, didn't you know? He's on both sides. By now, he'll have passed the second initiation."

"We've never had someone on both teams before," said Greekman. "What does it mean?"

"It means, for now, we watch him... Test him... See if he can tap into the shadow power like the rest of us. If he doesn't show signs of it, we do what we can to convince him that our side is the winning team... If we can get him to embrace the darkness completely, our power would become infinite."

"Then maybe we should test him, see if we can't bring it out to play." Jimbo grinned maliciously from the back of the room. "I could always crush him for you, if you like."

"No." Ramesus shook his head. "He needs time to acclimate to his role as Warrior of the Balance, and he has faced enough challenges for one day."

"Then why not go after one of his friends. You said he was getting chummy with one of the new crop. Jay, wasn't it? Cocky guy with blue hair?"

"You suggest going after Jay to force our dear Warrior into tapping his abilities?"

"That, and it'll be fun to put a newbie in his place."

Ramesus considered that, then nodded imperceptibly. "Do it, Jimbo. But be careful. If CyberV does have the Shadow Power, you might very well unleash something you are not prepared to face."

Jimbo just snickered. This was going to be fun...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 3: Darkness Rising! Jay Stands for Justice!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, e-hero-what, and cyal8ter

* * *

"I can't believe you fixed my duel!" exclaimed CyberV. Behind his desk, LazyMan looked chagrined.

"I said I was sorry. Five times."

"I don't get it," said CyberV. "You want the right person to be the Warrior, but then you go and make it so I can't fail. What if I'm NOT the right person?"

"You are. The Scepter chose you."

"You mean the same Scepter that's now missing? The one that showed me Yugi in a dress?"

"THAT WASN'T YUGI! AND HE WASN'T WEARING A DRESS!" LazyMan shouted just to shut up the obviously frazzled rookie. "I admit, I was wrong to do that, but you';ve got to understand how desperate the situation is. The longer the Scepter isn't shared by both sides, the stronger the side possessing it becomes. It's only a matter of time until Ramesus and his group tap into the Shadow Powers. By having you in Good, and having you as the Warrior, we stand a chance of keeping that power in check until we can reclaim it."

"And if I were to side with Ramesus?"

"Remember when monsters appeared all over the world? Imagine that, but with each of them attacking innocent people. THAT'S what could happen."

CyberV blanched. "My god..."

"Still think I was wrong to mess with your match?"

There was a noticeable silence.

"Yes."

"Good. Just the answer I wanted. Now, there's something you'll need." LazyMan opened a drawer and pulled out an Academy issue Duel Disk. There was, however, a noticeable difference. "This Disk was made in preparation for the day the Warrior was chosen. While Good and Evil duelists have symbols on their's representing their side, your's has both."

CyberV looked at it. "Yin and Yang. The good in the evil, and the evil in the good."

"It represents both chaos and order. Much as the Pharaoh used the power of darkness to fight evil, now you must use the chaos of both elements to restore the order."

"I just hope I can."

"You will. In time. Now if you don't mind, I DO have work to do." LazyMan turned away from the newly christened Warrior.

Silently, CyberV turned and left.

"So how'd it go?" asked Jay as he and CyberV walked the corridors of the school.

"Well, he admitted that it was fixed," said CyberV with a sigh. "Means that someday, Mouse and I'll have a duel for real. Personally, I can't wait. I've always wanted to face an Exodia strategy with a decent deck."

"At least you have the right counter strategy..."

"I dunno.. I think I should make a sidedeck to deal with that when the time comes. Especially if I'm gonna take this Warrior stuff seriously."

"So it's all real, huh? Man, I thought all those crazy stories were just to scare newbie duelists. But real Shadow Games?"

"They're coming," said CyberV. "And the sooner I find the Scepter, the sooner they end."

"And in the meantime," said Jay, "I have the pleasure of wiping the floor with you every night until you're the best there is."

"Oh joy..."

Before the bantering could continue a loud metallic thud could be heard just ahead, and both Duelists could see several of their fellow students backing away from something.

"BACK OFF NOW!" said a loud but unfamiliar voice. Jay and CyberV began trying to get through the crowd of students to see what was going on. As they got through, they saw what looked like what could quickly become an ugly scene. A cruel looking duelist had apparently knocked down a red-haired student, and two more students were standing between him and his attacker. One was dark haired, and even sort of resembled the Dark Magician. The other... Well, he wasn't huge, but he had a real presence.

"Stay out of this, Strong Man," sneered the bullying Duelist. "You have NO idea what you're getting involved in."

"TAPKAR!" exclaimed Jay as he finally saw the fallen student clearly. He rushed forward to help the student up, leaving CyberV completely out of the loop.

"Hey," said the student Jay called Tapkar. "I heard you'd made it in. Sorry I wasn't there for your initiation."

"No problem. What's going on?"

"What's going on is that he got in my way," said the bully again. "And I can't forgive it."

"Try anything and you'll regret it," said the one called Strong Man. "Or do you want me wiping the floor with you?"

"Let him try," said the other duelist. "At least that way, the floor gets cleaned."

"Who are these guys," muttered CyberV aloud.

"They're Strong Man, Magyk, and Jimbo," said Ashes as she got through the crowd. "Strongman's a beatdown expert, and Magyk specializes in spellcasters. Neither are affiliated with either team, but both have reputations for being the best in the field. But Jimbo... He's trouble. He's a member of Ramesus' team and loves to cut down his opponents with warrior monsters... Then cut them down every other way outside the duel. He's got a real cruel streak."

"And this Tapkar?"

"I don't really know about him, but it's obvious that he and Jay have history."

"You've got a smart mouth," said Jimbo to Magyk. "Remind me to rearrange it sometime."

"I'm afraid my schedule is full, but you can check with my receptionist if you'd like..."

Jimbo growled. Jay returned his attention to Tapkar. "You do something to tick this guy off?"

"No. He just asked if I knew you, and when I said yes, he knocked me down and tried to rip off my deck. Strong Man stopped him."

'Why's he so interested in Jay,' wondered CyberV. 'There's no reason for him to have a grudge against someone who just arrived.' He narrowed his eyes. 'RAMESUS! It has to be! He's trying to get at me through Jay, because he knows Jay's my friend. This is some kind of trap... But what's he after?'

Jay was trembling with rage. Slowly, he stood up, glaring at Jimbo. "If you have a problem with me, say it to my face. Or are you too much of a coward to challenge someone directly?"

Jimbo smirked. Jackpot. "Fine. You and me. One hour, in the Evil League's main dueling hall. Oh, and your friends are welcome to come along. They can watch me grind you into dust."

"I'll be there," said Jay.

"You'd better be," said Jimbo, before he turned his back to the group and faded into the crowd.

"Man, that was close," muttered Tapkar. "But you shouldn't have challenged him. He's brutal, and way more experienced than you are!"

"I don't care. No one messes with my friends while I'm around." He looked at Magyk and Strong Man. "Thanks for your help."

"Just make sure you annihilate that idiot," said Strong Man as he departed.

"I think I'll enjoy this duel," said Magyk. "Here's hoping for some David and Goliath repeat action."

"We'll be there too," said Ashes. "Right?"

"Definitely," said CyberV as he looked to where Jimbo had vanished. 'After all, I wouldn't want to let Ramesus down...'

* * *

Watching around the corner, Hikari watched with deep intensity.

"Won't be much longer now... I'll get even with him. I promise."

"Who are you talking to?" Startled, Hikari turned to see Nat standing behind her.

"NO ONE! I-"

"Don't give me that. You've been glaring daggers at our resident Nerd Boy since the plane ride, and I want to know why NOW."

Hikari's glare turned cold. "That's my business. Not your's." She turned to leave, but Nat slammed her arm in front of Hikari, blocking her exit.

"Sorry. Making it my business. He may be a total twit, but he's also a teammate of mine, and if you're planning to cause trouble, I'm putting a stop to it." She flashed a wry grin. "Besides, I have dibs on smacking him. Now spill."

"Fine," said Hikari, the hate in her eyes palpable. "He stole from my family, and I aim to get what he took back."

To say the least, that wasn't the answer Nat had expected.

* * *

"It's all set," said Jimbo, as Ramesus sat at a table, going through his deck. "I duel Jay in 45 minutes."

"Excellent. CyberV is sure to attend. Make sure the show you put on is... painful."

Jimbo grinned maliciously. "That's the only kind of show I do."

"This is SUCH a trap," said CyberV as the gang entered the Evil Arena.

"Well, duh," said Magyk. "An obvious one, too. ...Hey, aren't you the Underdog guy? I love that catchphrase they made for you. 'There's no need to fear! Underdog is here!'"

CyberV sweatdropped. "Remind me to BURN those cards when we get back to the dorms..."

"So," said Ashes, "What's the deal with you and Tapkar?"

Jay sighed. "It was a few years ago. Tapkar and I were just starting out in Duel Monsters, and faced off at a local tournament. I lost out early on, but he was hanging in there until he faced a real gorilla of a duelist... One that wasn't afraid to cheat. Tapkar called him on it, and the guy jumped him. I got between them and held him off long enough for security to get a hold of him. We've been friends ever since. He got into the Academy last year, and so I've worked my tail off to get as good as he was, hoping I'd be invited to Arcane."

"It obviously worked," said CyberV.

"And you're still saving me," said Tapkar, embarrassed, but relieved.

"It's what friends do," said Jay. "Now what say I clobber this jerk so we can all have some dinner and go to sleep?"

"Sounds good to me," said Ashes. Then she added "The Otaku's buying."

CyberV sighed. "Of course."

"HA HA!" said Rocket Warrior as he appeared behind CyberV, unseen and unheard by the others. "OWNED!"

"Who's side are you on?" he whispered.

"The hot chick's."

CyberV sighed LOUDER. As he did, his eyes scanned the room. It was a nightmare of red and black, a twisted mockery of the other arenas he'd seen thus far. As he noted the sickly green light coming from the rafters, he realized something.

'This explains why Ramesus didn't lure me here, but to the main hall instead. If he'd taken me here, I would never have mistakenly believed he was with Good. But knowing that doesn't help explain what Ramesus and Jimbo are up to now. What's their motivation for luring me here? One Truth Prevails. Now I just need to know what that truth is.'

Any further ponderings, or snide commentary from Rocket Warrior about him quoting Conan Edogawa, were interrupted as an ominous gate began to open, revealing a silhouetted Jimbo, all swagger and sneer.

"You showed up. Too bad. Now your friends are gonna get to see you get slaughtered." He glanced at the rest of those gathered. "I suggest you step back, before you lose some limbs."

"It's okay, guys," said Jay. "I can handle this jerk."

"We're here if you need us," said Ashes.

"That's right," said Tapkar.

"Oh, not me," said Magyk. "I just wanna enjoy the show."

"Very comforting..." said Jay blandly.

"Enough talk!" yelled Jimbo. "LET'S DUEL!"

"YOU'RE ON!"

Jay LP: 8000

Jimbo LP: 8000

"Make your move," said Jimbo.

"Gladly!" Jay looked at his cards. "One monster facedown, and that's all." The card appeared on the field.

"That's all? That's PATHETIC! Even beginners know that a move like that's a joke!" Jimbo sneered. "My turn, and I'll make you regret not taking this seriously. Two facedown cards." Two appeared on his field. "And I'll play the magic card Ground Collapse!" As the card appeared on the field, the floor in front of Jay crumbled, revealing two chasms. At the same time, two monster zones on his duel disk shattered.

"MY DISK!"

"Surprised? You shouldn't be. Ground Collapse prevents you from using two of your monster zones. And that means you'll be unable to pull a trample. And my monster will make sure that you have to start all over! RISE, NINJA GRANDMASTER SASUKE!" The monster appeared, coiled and ready for combat.

Ninja Master Sasuke: 1800/1000

"And the best part? He can destroy facedown monsters without worrying about how strong they are! GO! STRIKE WITH MASTER KICK!" Sasuke leapt forward, flipped, and delivered a devastating thrust kick to the monster that appeared from under Jay's card, a strange turtle. It shattered, and Sasuke returned to Jimbo's side of the field.

"Whoops. That was UFO Turtle you just nailed, and he's got a special ability. When he's destroyed in battle, I get to summon a new fire monster from my deck, so long as it's attack is 1500 or less." His deck spit out a card, which he placed onto his disk. "And here's another UFO Turtle in attack mode!"

UFO Turtle: 1400/1200

"I don't think so. I play the spell card Swords of Concealing Light!" Jimbo placed it on the field, and dark energy swords surrounded Jay and UFO Turtle. Before Jay's disbelieving eyes, UFO Turtle vanished back under it's card. "When this card is played, your monsters are switched to facedown defense position, and you can't attack for two turns. That's enough torment for now."

"So you're tormenting me with displays of how big a coward you are. I can live with that."

Jimbo growled.

"But I'm not sure you can," continued Jay. "I play the spell Heavy Storm, to remove all spells and traps from the field!" A massive whirlwind picked up, shattering the Swords, the facedown spells on Jimbo's field, and Ground Collapse. "And that means that UFO Turtle returns to attack mode, AND I get my monster zones back!" Even as he said it, the floor repaired itself and the damage to his Disk vanished.

"WHEW!" Tapkar let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Now he doesn't need to worry about being overrun."

"That's not all," said Ashes. "He's got something else entirely in mind."

"Now I summon Hand of Nephthys, and use her special ability!" The monster appeared, then instantly crumbled into ashes, along with UFO Turtle. "You see, when I sacrifice her and a monster on my field, I can automatically summon the SACRED PHOENIX OF NEPHTHYS!"

As Jay said this, smoke rose from the ashes of the fallen monsters, and, slowly, flames burst forward into the sky, creating the magnificent image of a firebird.

Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys: 2400/1600

"AGH!" Jimbo shielded his eyes to block the glare.

"Now, Phoenix, destroy Sasuke with the EVER ARISING FLAMES!" The Sacred Phoenix soared higher and it's wings grew into massive flame constructs which wrapped around the Ninja and cooked it to a crisp.

Jay LP: 8000

Jimbo LP: 7400

"Finally, I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Smart punk... I place one monster facedown, and that's all."

"And you insulted me when I did it... Sheesh. Well, I'll play a facedown monster too." A card appeared on the field. "NOW, PHOENIX! ATTACK!"

Jimbo grinned. "Gotcha." He flipped his monster card. A woman in armor appeared. "This is DD Warrior Lady, and when she's attacked, the attacker goes down at the end of the turn!"

Even as the flames scorched Warrior Lady, the Phoenix found itself cleaved in half. Both monsters shattered.

"NO! PHOENIX!" Jay grit his teeth. "I end my turn."

"Thought so. I place one card facedown and summon Raging Flame Sprite in attack mode." The Sprite appeared.

Raging Flame Sprite: 100/200

"HEY!" exclaimed Ashes. "That's MY signature card!"

"Cool it," said CyberV. "He knows. He's trying to rile you to distract Jay."

"Now, she'll use her power to attack you directly, and after that, she'll gain a thousand attack points! GO, WITH SPRITE SPARK!"

"Not this time," said Jay as the Sprite came at him. "I laid a trap. Threatening Roar!" A monestrous creature appeared, bellowing in rage. The Sprite stopped and scurried back to Jimbo. "This trap stops one creature from attacking me this turn. So sorry. Now, where's the trembling again?"

"Shut up and play."

"I will, thanks." Jay smirked. "I'll flip my facedown faceup... UFO TURTLE, ATTACK MODE!"

UFO Turtle: 1400/1200

"Now, attack Raging Flame Sprite with Turtle Abduction!"

"Fool," said Jimbo. "What you can do, I can improve on. SAKURETSU ARMOR!" As his card raised, UFO Turtle suddenly exploded. "This card destroys an opponent's monster when an attack is sprung."

"And I'll use his special ability to bring out Solar Flare Dragon!" Even as he said it, his deck spat out another card. He played it, and the dragon appeared.

Solar Flare Dragon: 1500/1000

"And he has two special abilities. One, as long as there's a pyro type on the field, like your Flame Sprite, he can't be attacked. And two, at the end of each of my turns, you lose 500 life points! And speaking of ending my turn..."

Jimbo's deck sparked for a moment

Jay LP: 8000

Jimbo LP: 6900

"Well, if I can't attack while the Sprite's around, then away she goes! I tribute her to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!" The frosty king arose as the Sprite vanished.

Mobius: 2400/1000

"HEY! That's one of MY best cards!" exclaimed CyberV.

"Way to not distract Jay..." muttered Ashes.

"NOW, DESTROY SOLAR FLARE DRAGON WITH FROZEN DECREE!" Mobius thrust his hand forward, and suddenly the Flare Dragon began to ice up and crumble, before shattering completely.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 6900

"Man..." muttered Jay.

"That's it this turn, but much as Mobius commands the cold, soon will you feel the icy grip of death upon you, for we of the Evil Duelists will soon master the power of the Shadows itself!"

CyberV's eyes widened. 'OF COURSE! THAT'S WHY HE'S DOING THIS!' He clenched his fists. 'He's trying to make me think that the longer this duel goes on, the greater the danger that he'll be able to use the Shadows to hurt Jay. But I know Jay can win this. I know it!'

"I just hope JAY knows it," muttered Rocket Warrior.

In his private office, Ramesus watched a monitor displaying the duel.

"It's all going according to plan," he said. "I hope my new recruit takes the bait..."

* * *

As Mobius turned the tide, a knocking was heard.

"Enter."

Mokuba did.

"I thought I'd find you here, Ramesus."

Ramesus turned off the monitor as he regarded the Arbitrator cautiously.

"Was I missing?"

"I'm not in the mood for games," said Mokuba, with a steady, angry voice. "Where is the Scepter?"

Ramesus smirked.

* * *

"You can't beat Mobius! Give up!" Jimbo laughed. He had this fool now...

"TRIBUTE TO THE DOOMED!" Jay's card appeared. "You thought you had me? WRONG! By discarding one card, I can destroy Mobius!" He sent one card to the graveyard. "Chill out, Frost Monarch!" Below Mobius, mummies arose and forcefully dragged him under. "And that's not all! I summon another Solar Flare Dragon!" The dragon roared.

Solar Flare Dragon: 1500/1000

"NOW ATTACK WITH SOLAR FLAME!" The monster let loose with flames, cooking Jimbo.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 5400

"And I end my turn! And now, thanks to his special ability..."

Jimbo's disk sparked.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 4900

Jimbo wasn't happy. HE was supposed to be in control, not this rookie! "One monster facedown, and a spell as well!" Two cards appeared. "That's it."

"Oh good! MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON! DESTROY HIS FACEDOWN SPELL!" Water rushed up, shattering Jimbo's card, the Nobleman of Crossout. "And now, I summon another Solar Flare Dragon!" A second one appeared next to the first.

Solar Flare Dragon 2: 1500/1000

"NOW ATTACK HIS FACEDOWN CARD!"

"Bad call," said Jimbo as his monster appeared. "Meet Sasuke Samurai #4!" The odd samurai stared down the attacking Solar Flare Dragon. "He's got a great special ability. I call heads or tails, and flip a coin. If I win, the attacking monster dies." A coin appeared on the field. "TAILS." It launched into the air, taking an eternity before landing... tails.

"HA! Bye bye, Dragon!" The Samurai slashed with it's sword, cutting the enemy down.

"Oh no..." CyberV had a bad feeling that it was about to get worse.

"No... I end my turn." Jay closed his eyes, ignoring the sparking of Jimbo's disk.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 4400

"I summon another Sasuke Samurai #4!" The monster appeared next to it's twin.

2 Sasuke Samurai #4: 1200/1200

'If he loses this coin toss, he's dead! And if Jimbo's claims are true...' CyberV started to stand, even as he felt something stirring within him.

Red-Eyes appeared, growling softly. Blocking him from interfering.

'What do you mean he'll be okay?'

"And I switch the first to attack mode." The Samurai unsheathed it's sword. "Now... ATTACK!" The coin flipped again. "HEADS!" The coin came down... tails. "OH NO!"

"Oh yes..." As the Samurai attacked, Solar Flare Dragon cut him down with it's tail.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 4300

"Let's try that again! TAILS!" The coin landed as the second Samurai attacked... as heads. Again, Jimbo's monster was struck down.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 4200

"You wanted to bully people, Jimbo? I don't care for it. Now you pay the price. I remove a Solar Flare Dragon from my graveyard to summon Spirit of the Flames!" A geyser of fire erupted, revealing the fiery beast.

Spirit of Flames: 1700/1000

"And he gains 300 when attacking! GO! ATTACK DIRECTLY! FLAME GHOSTS!" Spirit of Flames surged forward, engulfing Jimbo.

Spirit of Flames: 1700 + 300/1000

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 2200

"SOLAR FLARE DRAGON! ATTACK MODE! GO!" Solar fire lanced out as well, striking the Evil Duelist.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 700

"And I end my turn!" Jimbo's disk sparked.

Jay LP: 7100

Jimbo LP: 200

CyberV sat down, understanding the actions of his Duel Spirit.

'You knew he was going to be all right, didn't you?'

"We both knew," said Rocket Warrior. "The shadows aren't strong enough yet."

"Jay's amazing," said Ashes. "He's been in control almost the entire duel!"

"He's gotten better," said Tapkar. "I think I'm in trouble..."

"He'll be an interesting challenge," shrugged Magyk as he got up to leave. "No reason for me to sit around for the end now. I know what'll happen. Later." He mock saluted the group as he walked away.

"I play Call of the Haunted!" The card rose from Jimbo's side of the field. "MOBIUS! RETURN!" The Frost Monarch rose up, shrugging off the mummies that had taken it before.

Mobius: 2400/1000

"This game is over. Give up Jimbo. You can't win." Jay stared into the eyes of his opponent. "Solar Flare Dragon's immune to attack with Spirit of Flames on the field. I just have to end my next turn."

"Yeah, you've won," said Jimbo. "But the game isn't over yet. I'll go down FIGHTING! DESTROY SPIRIT OF FLAMES!" Mobius let loose with a frozen blast, extinguishing the Spirit.

Jay LP: 6400

Jimbo LP: 200

Jay took the final card of the duel from his disk. "At least you're man enough to see it through. I end my turn."

Jimbo's disk sparked and went dead, all monsters vanishing.

Jay LP: 6400

Jimbo LP: 0

"Now leave my friends alone." He turned to the others. "Lets get outta here."

"Definitely," said Tapkar. "We've got a year to catch up on."

"You coming, Otaku?" asked Ashes.

"In a minute," said CyberV. "I need more info on the Evil Duelists. I'm technically a member, after all."

She shrugged. "Fine. Money? You're buying dinner, remember?"

"HA!" Rocket Warrior laughed as he and Red-Eyes faded away. Frustrated, CyberV surrendered his money.

"Good Otaku Geek!" She patted him on the head before joining the others in leaving the arena.

Once they were gone, he turned to Jimbo, who was pulling himself together. "I want answers, Jimbo. What were you trying to accomplish here?"

Jimbo, breathing hard, chuckled. "THIS!" He suddenly lashed out with a stun gun, electrocuting CyberV. His nervous system in shock, CyberV collapsed. Jimbo took glee in zapping him a few more times.

"W-Why...?" CyberV blacked out.

Standing over him, Jimbo grinned. "Because now the REAL shadow game can begin!"

No one heard him laugh...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: A Fiery Shadow Game! I Believe in You, Duel Spirits!


	4. A Fiery Shadow Game!

This chapter is dedicated to Theodore Simson, who regrettably passed away during the writing of this tale. A good man, respected philanthropist, and my great-Uncle.

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: the Arcane Chronicles: Nat cornered Hikari, who revealed that CyberV might not be as innocent as he seems. As Ramesus accepted the shadow power of the stolen Scepter of the Balance, he entrusted Jimbo to force Jay into a duel, in hopes of drawing out any Shadow Power within CyberV. As the duel raged, Ramesus was confronted by Mokuba. Jay rallied to defeat Jimbo, unaware that as he and the others left, the true trap was just about to be sprung...

* * *

"Do you really think I have the Scepter?" asked Ramesus blandly as he sat in his chair. "I mean, even if I did, why would I be stupid enough to keep it here?"

"Are you?" asked Mokuba. "The Shadow Power can make people crazy, and I would know."

"Yes... I suppose you would know." Ramesus chuckled. "I mean, I heard about how Pegasus sealed your soul into a card. That had to be utterly maddening."

Mokuba blanched. Almost no one knew about that. It had been a nightmarish experience that still gave him the chills whenever he thought about it.

"Oh, and the time you nearly got turned into one of Marik's meat-puppets like Joey Wheeler and Tea Gardner. Now THERE'S a traumitizing experience." Ramesus leaned forward, enjoying the reactions of the younger Kaiba sibling.

"You DO have the power..." muttered Mokuba, chilled to the bone. "You have to stop now, Ramesus, before it's too late!"

"But I'm just starting," said Ramesus. "I mean, I don't have the Scepter on me, but that wouldn't stop me from stealing souls..." He chuckled. "Not that Noah or the Big Five needed anything fancy like that, now did they? And Dartz... Well, he was WAY more powerful with the Seal of Oricalcos in his possession..."

Mokuba couldn't believe this. Ramesus knew things that virtually no one did. That was impossible. Was it some kind of telepathy? Hypnosis? With an Item, the possibilities were endless.

"Ramesus, LISTEN TO ME. The way you're using the Item, it's gonna destroy you! What you're doing? Bakura, Marik, Pegasus... They all tried it, and it nearly killed them! For your own sake... For EVERYONE'S SAKE... Give it back!"

Ramesus leaned back, relaxed now. "No, I think not. Granted, my control of it is still limited, but I'll learn how to master it eventually. And in the meantime, I'm curious to see just how far things can go. But I won't abuse it. Don't worry about that... At least, as long as you stay out of my way..."

Mokuba stared at him, trying to see if there was anything still decent in Ramesus. He couldn't tell. "This isn't over. I WILL find a way to stop you."

"I'm sure you'll try. But like I said, I won't be abusing it anytime soon. Now if you don't mind, I have things to attend to." He turned his chair away and dismissed Mokuba with a wave of his hand. Unable to think of anything else to try, and fully wary of what the Item could do, Mokuba found himself forced to comply. Once he was gone, Ramesus chuckled. "Besides, it's not like I need Shadow Power to play a Shadow GAME..."

And on his monitor, he watched as Jimbo dragged an unconscious CyberV away...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 4: A Fiery Shadow Game! I Believe in You, Duel Spirits!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, e-hero-what, cyal8er

* * *

"Is it ready?" asked Jimbo as he watched Poison work.

"Perfection takes time," said the school's other resident spellcasting master. "And I only do perfection. The warehouse is wired, and the receiver are rigged. I even set up a monitor so the newbie can watch the show."

"Neat..." said Jimbo.

"Yes. Neat." Poison sighed. What an IDIOT. "You sure you didn't fry his brain with that stupid stun gun?" He looked over at CyberV, still unconscious, now tied to a chair that was bolted to the floor. He looked around at the abandoned school warehouse they'd chosen for the Shadow Game.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not stupid. I knew what I was doing."

'Yeah, right...' thought Poison, but said nothing aloud. "Just make sure you do the job RIGHT this time."

"Oh, I will..." He chuckled. "His little friend won't know what hit him... And neither will this jerk."

"Then all that remains," said Poison, "is to make sure Jay takes the bait."

* * *

"Maybe he got lost exploring the Evil Duelists section," suggested Ashes as she and Jay roamed the halls, heading towards their respective dorms. "Or he could have lost track of time. I mean, LazyMan's pretty hot and bothered over that missing Scepter."

"Maybe," said Jay, "But I dunno. I can't help but feel like something's wrong. I mean, first Jimbo jumps Tapkar, then gets me to duel him... I still can't figure out what he was trying to accomplish."

"And then our favorite Otaku Geek never shows up in the dining hall. Huh, come to think of it, I don't remember seeing Nat or that other girl either."

"I just have a bad feeling about this. It's been a really nasty first day..."

"You're worried because it's been a bad day?"

"No, I'm worried because we left CyberV alone with JIMBO."

"Like that idiot could actually do anything."

They turned a corner as they reached the divide between the boys and girls dorms. Ashes turned the same direction as Jay, not finished talking to him.

"It doesn't take a smart man to do something dangerous. I mean, he was willing to hurt a friend of mine just to duel me. I'm worried he might try it again."

"You're paranoid."

"Yeah. But they ARE out to get us."

"Good point... Hey, isn't this your dormroom?" They stopped in front of Jay's room. Laying at the door was a good sized package.

"Yeah, it is. Wonder what this is." He picked up a card from atop the package. "Warehouse 3. Tell no one." He looked up, exchanging a confused look with Ashes.

"Open it!" she said, now worried.

Jay knelt down and pulled at the black ribbon holding the box shut. As he did, the box collapsed outwards... Revealing a familiar black and white Duel Disk.

"What's it mean?" asked Ashes, getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"It means that our bad day just got a lot worse." Jay crushed the note in his fist, picked up the Disk, and ran the opposite direction. Ashes followed. Once they were out of sight, Carly came out from inside an unclaimed dormroom and hit a number on her cellphone's speeddial. Someone picked up immediately.

"They're on their way." She hung up and chuckled. It was so GOOD to be so bad.

* * *

"Wake up!" CyberV heard a voice in the distance, but did not stir. Dazed, he was only starting to come out of unconsciousness. "Wake up!" He heard the voice again, but was rewarded only with brief painful memories of being electrocuted.

The huge roar, however, jolted him to full consciousness.

"GAH!" He would have fallen out of his seat if he hadn't been tied to it... And if the chair wasn't bolted to the floor. He looked around quickly, seeing that he was in some kind of warehouse, decorated only with a large screen showing what was directly outside. His only company were Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon, who looked at him, concerned.

"Nice work, big guy," said Rocket Warrior. CyberV could have sworn he heard the Dragon chuckle. "Geez, he nailed you bad..."

"Where am I?"

"Some campus storage area," said Rocket Warrior. "That jerk Jimbo zapped you and got some help dragging you here. Neither of us could do anything but watch... I HATE being intangible..." He gripped his sword tightly.

"How do I get out of here? I mean, I know I was thinking like Jimmy Kudo, but I REALLY don't wanna go all the way with the homage."

"Errr... No clue..." Rocket Warrior looked completely flustered.

"Ah," said a voice that permeated the room, "You're awake. Good."

The voice was coming from everywhere and slightly tinny. Obviously, the owner wasn't around and was using a broadcasting system. "Isn't kidnaping a little extreme for a card game?"

"Oh, this isn't kidnaping. This is a SHADOW GAME." The owner of the voice chuckled. "You see, Jimbo was so sad when Jay thrashed him so, that he wanted a rematch. I'm just making sure it's more interesting."

That didn't make sense. "You mean to tell me you went through all of this just to get Jay to duel Jimbo?"

"Pretty much."

'He's lying,' realized CyberV. 'This is too elaborate for a simple grudge match. If all he wanted was a duel, he could have challenged Jay at any time. No, grabbing me, the monitor...' He looked at his wrist. 'And my missing Duel Disk. They definitely want a Shadow Game. The other duel was just a setup for this one. But I still don't know why!'

"If you say so, but if you want a shadow game, shouldn't I be the one dueling?"

"Oh no. Prizes should never duel on their own behalf. Besides, I went through so much trouble so you could watch the match..."

"Wonderful."

"Just sit back and relax, my so-called Warrior. YOUR job is just to sit back, relax, enjoy the show... and to pray that you SURVIVE."

CyberV's eyes narrowed. He'd expected as much. Ramesus wasn't wasting any time. "So, what do I call you?"

"Who? Me? I'm just your host for these proceedings, and I prefer, for now, to remain a mystery. As for when the duel starts... Well, your friends are on their way, and should arrive momentarily. Enjoy the show..."

CyberV pulled at his bonds, but the ropes didn't budge. He was well and truly stuck, his Duel Spirits watching helplessly, unable to interfere.

* * *

"The note said to go to warehouse three!" said Jay as he and Ashes finally reached the edge of the school grounds. Before them lay the key to any successful dueling school... the warehouses where all the replacement and spare cards were stored. Any duelist worth their salt knew that the cards were easy to damage on accident, especially when shuffling and dueling. When that happened, a student could fill out a request form, include the damaged card, and if one was available, a replacement would be provided. But the note said that for now, the third one was empty, awaiting new shipments... And that CyberV was inside, and in need of their help.

An obvious trap, but what else could they do? There wasn't time to get school security, and even if they did, there was every chance that the Evil Duelists might retaliate. No, the only way to handle this situation was on their own.

"THERE IT IS!" shouted Ashes as they rushed past several others. She grimaced as she saw who was waiting for them. "Oh, not AGAIN..."

Jimbo smirked. "We meet again." His disk was already in play mode.

"Where is he?" asked Jay in a voice that would make most think twice.

"He's inside," said Jimbo. "But your business is with ME. You see, if you don't agree to the duel, you'll never see him again. And this time, it's a Shadow Game for REAL."

"He's bluffing," said Ashes.

"Am I? Try it. Go ahead. I'll enjoy watching you identify the remains... If there's enough left to identify."

Ashes started for the door, but stopped. Much as she wanted to put an end to this insanity, she couldn't risk it.

"Good call. Now it's time for round two, Jay. Prepare to get burned!"

Jay switched his Duel Disk to play mode. "Shut up and duel. I've got a friend to save."

"Then by all means. Try to save him."

Jay LP: 8000

Jimbo LP: 8000

"I'll start this off," said Jay, "with UFO TURTLE! ATTACK MODE!" The monster appeared.

UFO Turtle: 1400/1200

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on the field. 'But how is THIS anymore of a shadow game than the LAST duel?'

Jimbo drew. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your facedown card!" A massive storm appeared, shattering Jay's spell.

"NO!"

"So, you were gonna use Bottomless Trap Hole, huh? Too bad. Your only protection's gone, and I'm laying down one of my own." A card appeared on the field. "And now I summon Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective!" A flaming monster appeared.

Gaia Soul: 2000/0000

"Oh, fighting fire with fire, huh?" snickered Jay. "Too bad his special ability dictates that he'll be gone at the end of your turn!"

"Oh, I know," said Jimbo. "I just wanted to show you why this is a shadow game. GAIA SOUL, DESTROY UFO TURTLE WITH BURNING SPIRIT!" Gaia Soul released a ghostly flame that enveloped and incinerated UFO Turtle.

Jay LP: 7400

Jimbo LP: 8000

That was when the warehouse blew up. Or a small section of it anyway.

* * *

CyberV turned his head as he heard the explosion, just in time to see tendrils of flame erupt in the distance.

"What the?!"

"Do you approve? I know you must love dramatic eruptions, given your unfortunate taste in entertainment."

"Cute. Mind cluing me in?"

"THIS is the shadow game, friend," said the voice. "Every time one of them loses life points, another bomb goes off. Enough go, the warehouse goes, and with you IN IT."

CyberV couldn't believe this. "So Jay has to end the duel quickly, while Jimbo can take all the time he wants, dragging it out point by point!"

"Exactly! Now THIS is exciting!"

He pulled at his bonds again, to no avail. 'Come on Jay. Don't mess around. You can win, but can you do it fast enough?'

* * *

"You gotta be kidding me... THAT'S the Shadow Game?!" Jay had just gotten the same explanation from Jimbo. "That's crazy!"

"That's the rule. Now if you forfeit, it goes up immediately. So keep playing."

"I will, because a friend is counting on me! When you destroyed UFO Turtle, you activated his special ability, which allows me to summon from my deck a pyro type with 1500 or fewer attack points! And I choose Solar Flare Dragon!" Jay's signature dragon appeared.

Solar Flare Dragon: 1500/1000

"And when there's another pyro out, he'll become immune to attack. But for now, it's enough that at the end of each of my turns, you'll lose 500 life points."

"Yeah, dragging it out and letting MORE explosions go off. You must hate him too."

Jay growled. "I'll show YOU hate! I'll remove UFO Turtle from my graveyard to special summon Inferno!" Inferno appeared, a fiery beast.

Inferno: 1100/1900

"And I'll end my turn," said Jimbo, letting Gaia Soul burn out of existence. "So I can activate my trap card! BACKFIRE!" His card raised. "When a pyro type is destroyed on my side of the field, you take 500 damage! And that means..."

"ANOTHER EXPLOSION!" exclaimed Jay

Jay LP: 6900

Jimbo LP: 8000

A small fireball erupted atop the warehouse.

"It's only a matter of time, isn't it?" asked Jimbo. "CyberV'll be a Cyber SPLAT."

"Don't let him distract you," said Ashes. "You can beat him if you focus! And he DID just make a major mistake!"

'She's right!' realized Jay. 'He's wide open to an attack! But if I attack him, there's gonna be another explosion... What do I do?!'

* * *

"Quite the dilemma, isn't it?" asked Poison, the voice on the other end of the speaker. He was enjoying watching the rookies squirm, but he really didn't know what Ramesus expected to happen. Still, he had his role to play, and he intended to play it to the hilt. "The longer he fights, the more danger you're in, but if he DOESN'T fight, you're finished anyway."

"He'll find a way to win," said CyberV, with more confidence than he actually felt. He was sweating, agitated.

"Perfect," said Ramesus as he stepped into the control room. "I see things are progressing nicely."

"Just like you wanted," said Poison. "But he's not that interesting... Maybe if you'd let me include electric shocks for variety..."

"Maybe next time," said Ramesus. "Besides, things are about to heat up back in the duel. Let's watch, and see how much of your handiwork will get to be displayed."

Rocket Warrior couldn't believe this. The entire situation was insane. "Jay has to attack, right?"

"Yes," said CyberV. "He has to. There's no choice." He looked up to see that the ceiling was already cracking where the second explosion had occurred. And the smell of smoke was coming in the distance. If the warehouse wasn't already on fire, it soon would be.

* * *

"My turn!" said Jay as he drew. 'But attacking might make things worse! NO! I can't think like that. I just have to hit him hard, fast, and smart, and hope it's enough!'

He looked at his hand, and a plan formed. "All right, I summon another Solar Flare Dragon!" A twin to the first appeared.

Solar Flare Dragon 2: 1500/1000

"I'll put Inferno in defense mode. That way, even if it's destroyed, I won't lose life points and that means one less explosion." Inferno changed positions, crouching.

"We'll see," said Jimbo, grinning now, enjoying watching as Jay performed under pressure.

"And now, BOTH my Dragons will attack you directly!" The Dragons surged forward, striking Jimbo with heat rays in tandem. "And by attacking together, they only bring out one explosion instead of two!"

"AAAAAAAAA!!!!" Jimbo gasped as he was nailed by the attacks.

Jay LP: 6900

Jimbo LP: 5000

"And I'll end my turn!" The Dragons fired again at Jimbo.

Jay LP: 6900

Jimbo LP: 4000

Two explosions rocked the warehouse, one on the side of the building, and one internally.

* * *

"Oh no..." muttered CyberV as he coughed, the smoke getting heavier. As he strained to see through the smoke, he could see that the last explosion had seriously damaged a support beam. Even now, it groaned with the strain of maintaining it's load. If it gave, the entire building would come down.

Inside, he felt something starting to stir. "This can't be happening!"

* * *

"Nice move," said Jimbo. "I think that last one got a support beam. I'm surprised it's still standing."

"WHAT?!" Ashes and Jay both exclaimed.

"Yep. Your lucky day. Congrats. But your luck's about to run out." Jimbo drew and grinned. "I play the spell card Lightning Vortex! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy all the face-up monsters on your side of the field." The card appeared on the field, and lightning struck the Solar Flare Dragons and Inferno. They erupted into pixels and vanished completely.

"MY DRAGONS!" exclaimed Jay.

"And Inferno, too," chuckled Jimbo. "You're wide open."

"Guess again. I remove one of my dragons from the graveyard to resummon Inferno to the field!" Inferno reignited in a flash of fire.

Inferno: 1100/1900

"I figured you'd do that. I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared. "And now I'll resurrect Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective using Premature Burial!" Premature Burial appeared.

Jay LP: 6900

Jimbo LP: 3200

"And guess what? It costs me 800 life points! And that means..." Another explosion rocked the warehouse roof, even as Gaia Soul reappeared.

Gaia Soul: 2000/0

"NOW DESTROY INFERNO!" Gaia Soul surged forward, nailing Inferno and absorbing it into itself.

Jay LP: 6500

Jimbo LP: 3200

Another explosion, this time on the opposite side of the warehouse.

"And I end my turn, which means Gaia Soul's gone, and Backfire reactivates!" Flames surged up, licking at Jay.

Jay LP: 6000

Jimbo LP: 3200

Another eruption inside the warehouse.

"STOP IT!" yelled Ashes. "THIS IS SICK!"

"Yeah," said Jimbo. "Ain't it cool?"

* * *

CyberV was starting to have trouble seeing. The last explosion inside had been on the ground, and had kicked up a lost of debris and dust. He was coughing more too, the dust in the air contaminating it. The back of the warehouse was definitely on fire now, and between the damage to the walls and the support beam, the building couldn't last much longer.

"Got... Gotta get outta here..."

Even as he pulled at the bonds, Red-Eyes looked at the screen, unable to help. Rocket Warrior had taken to uselessly slashing at the ropes with his immaterial sword.

"This is bad! REALLY BAD!" He slashed again. Nothing. "If you go, we go too! Our cards'll burn up!"

"Your (cough) concern for my well being is heartwarming (cough)."

"Shut up and keep pulling!"

Red-Eyes just growled.

* * *

"That's enough!" yelled Jay. "I remove another dragon to resummon Inferno!" Inferno reappeared.

Inferno: 1100/1900

"And now I summon Hand of Nephthys!" She appeared, but vanished along with Inferno. "And I use her special ability to summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!" The ground erupted in flames as the Phoenix rose from the ashes and took to the skies.

Sacred Phoenix: 2400/1600

"And I activate," said Jimbo, "Call of the Haunted!" The card rose up. "And it costs... Another 800 life points!"

Jay LP: 6000

Jimbo LP: 2400

Another explosion. Inside.

"Gaia Soul's back again!" Gaia Soul reappeared.

Gaia Soul: 2000/0

"But not for long! GO WITH FLAMING WING!" The Phoenix flapped it's wings, and fireballs nailed Gaia Soul, destroying it.

Jay LP: 6000

Jimbo LP: 2000

Another explosion on the side.

"And Backfire nails YOU!" Flames licked at Jay again.

Jay LP: 5500

Jimbo LP: 2000

Yet another explosion on the roof.

Jimbo chuckled. "He's probably dead by now. Bet he looks like a roast pig if anything's even left. Anyway, I place two cards facedown, and that's all."

The cards appeared.

'No monsters. He wants me to attack him so he'll lose more life points and make more explosions. But what else CAN I do?!'

"I draw!"

"And that activates my trap card!" Jimbo laughed. "COMPULSORY EVACUATION DEVICE!" A massive machine appeared on the field between the duelists. "This trap takes one monster on the field and returns it to the owner's hand. And I choose your Phoenix!" The Device opened wide, and tendrils lashed out, ensnaring the Sacred Phoenix, which struggled uselessly against it as it was pulled inside.

"PHOENIX! NO!"

"YES."

The tendrils pulled the Phoenix in completely and the Device shut tight. Gears began moving, and before the disbelieving eyes of Jay and Ashes, the Phoenix was launched straight into orbit, it's card reappearing in Jay's hand.

"Birdie goes bye-bye."

"Maybe, but I'm not finished yet! I remove another monster from my graveyard to bring back Inferno!" Inferno reappeared.

Inferno: 1100/1900

"And that activates my other trap card," chuckled Jimbo. "TORRENTIAL TRIBUTE!" Water burst from the card as it rose, clearing the field of all monsters. "All gone."

"Not quite. SOLAR FLARE DRAGON!" Another dragon appeared as Jay placed the card on the field.

Solar Flare Dragon 3: 1500/1000

"I'll end my turn, and that nails you again."

Light struck Jimbo.

"Just what I wanted you to do."

Jay LP: 6000

Jimbo LP: 1500

Another eruption on the left side of the building. As they watched, horrified, cracks continued to grow on all sides of the building.

* * *

The smoke was thick now, and breathing was going to be an issue really soon.

"Got... Got to... get out..."

"Ummm... If this keeps up, he's gonna die before you get to see what you want," said Poison.

"Oh, I doubt it. I have faith that he'll find what he needs to survive."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then he doesn't."

* * *

"What's with all the booms?" asked Nat as she looked out of a window.

"Someone's probably having an unauthorized duel," said Hikari. "Bet it's that lousy thief."

"Now hold on, that's not-"

Hikari cut her off. "I don't want to hear it. But right now, I want to see what's going on out there. Don't you?"

Nat nodded. "Then let's go.

* * *

"Jay," said Ashes, "I'm gonna risk it."

"Go," said Jay. "But hurry! The entire place is about to come down!"

Ashes made a break for the warehouse.

"No you don't," said Jimbo. "I summon Blazing Inpachi in attack mode!" The flaming monster appeared.

Blazing Inpachi: 1850/0

"And your monster's toast! ATTACK NOW, with Ancient Fire!" Inpachi surged forward, absorbing the Solar Flare Dragon with it's own flames.

Jay LP: 5650

Jimbo LP: 1500

Ashes was almost to the door, when an explosion erupted right in front of her.

"ASHES!" exclaimed Jay outside, and CyberV within. CyberV felt something surge forth, unaware that his forehead was beginning to glow. Glow with the symbol of the Millennium Items. The Wdjat.

'I'm dead!' she thought as the fireball came at her, unaware that her deck was suddenly glowing. She braced herself to be incinerated, but suddenly, a girl appeared between her and the flames, shielding her. While Ashes was still knocked off her feet, she wasn't seriously harmed.

"What?!" Stunned, she looked up to see that, much to her horror, the only entrance was now rubble. There was no way in. And standing between her and the fire was the Raging Flame Sprite.

"That was a close one," said the Sprite. "Another second and I'd've lost you!"

"But... But..."

"It's all right, Ashes. "I'm your Duel Spirit. We're bonded, you and I. Always have been, always will be. I sensed that you needed me, and I came."

"How..."

"How isn't important," said the Sprite. "You can't help the Warrior. You have to stay back for your own sake!"

"But CyberV-"

"Will make it through. Trust me."

* * *

"It's happening," said Ramesus, gleefully watching the display.

"Where's that glow coming from?" asked Poison.

"The shadow power. He's tapping into it at last. Now it's time to see just how much he has."

* * *

"I remove my last Solar Flare Dragon to bring Inferno back again!" Jay, livid now, glared at Jimbo. "You are a sick, sick puppy you demented freak! You're DEAD!" Inferno reappeared. "You could have killed Ashes, and you don't even care! You may have already killed CyberV, and you don't care! You're a monster, and monsters need to be slain!"

Inferno: 1100/1900

"THIS guy again? Come ON! BORING!"

"SHUT UP! GREN MAJU DA EIZA! RISE!" Another fire monster appeared. "He gains 400 attack for every monster I removed from play!"

Gren Maju da Eiza: 2000/2000

"First I destroy your Inpachi. Then YOU." Gren surged forward, crushing Inpachi.

Jay LP: 5650

Jimbo LP: 1150

"You lost your temper. Tsk tsk." Jimbo chuckled. "And now we BOTH lose life points thanks to Backfire! That's two more explosions!"

Jay LP: 5100

Jimbo LP: 1150

He was right. Both explosions, this time, were inside the crumbling warehouse. If CyberV wasn't already dead, he soon would be.

* * *

"Woah..." muttered Rocket Warrior as he saw the Wdjat. "Haven't seen THAT for a while." He felt different too. Red-Eyes nodded, indicating he felt the same mystical energy. Rocket Warrior couldn't help but remember the first time he had felt such an energy... It had been when Marik had made Joey Wheeler a mind slave and forced him into battle with Yugi Mutou. But that meant...

"Oh man..."

Red-Eyes just growled.

"Feeling the heat?" asked Poison. "Burn baby burn!"

* * *

Jay looked at his hand for the first time in the turn. 'Oh man! I drew THAT?! I could have prevented that last explosion if I hadn't been so angry! I gotta put a stop to this now!' Calming himself forcefully, Jay placed one card into his Duel Disk.

"MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" It appeared. "Kiss Backfire goodbye, because this magic card destroys one spell or trap on the field!" Water surged forth, washing away Backfire.

"Too bad you didn't think about that earlier," said Jimbo. "What? Did I make you..." He faked a gasp. "MAD? What a shame."

"Inferno! DIRECT ATTACK!" Inferno blazed forward, frying Jimbo, who laughed as the flames enveloped him.

Jay LP: 5100

Jimbo LP: 50

Another explosion on the roof. Now the crumbling of the warehouse was audible. It was barely standing up now. One more explosion, and that would be it.

"Let me help him!" said Ashes.

"I can't," said the Sprite. "He's in good hands."

* * *

"Come on, man... Stay with us..." Rocket Warrior saw the sheer fury in CyberV's eyes, and felt the heat.

He FELT the heat.

"Slash at the ropes again," said CyberV.

"But I-"

"I believe in you, Rocket Warrior. You can do this. WE can do this."

Rocket Warrior could feel the mystical energy fully now. CyberV was tapping into something insanely dangerous.

"All right... I'll try." He raised his sword.

"ROCKET SLASH!" yelled CyberV as the sword came down, his forehead glowing bright as a star. He wasn't surprised when the ropes fell away, slashed apart by the attack. Unsteadily, he raised to his feet, free and still trapped, but Rocket Warrior could no longer feel the heat. He was immaterial again, and helpless to finish the job.

"You... Did good." said CyberV to the Duel Spirit. "Whatever that was... Took a lot out of me... But we're not out of here yet..." He looked up at Red-Eyes. "Now... It's YOUR turn."

Red-Eyes nodded and prepared itself.

* * *

"WOAH. Where'd the monster appear from?!"

"Magic," said Ramesus. "Now come along. Our work isn't finished just yet." Ramesus turned and left. Shrugging, Poison followed, pausing only momentarily to add "This concludes our broadcast," into the microphone.

* * *

"I'll place one monster facedown," said Jimbo. "Not like I need to worry. Far as I'm concerned, I've won this shadow game. Your friend is cooked hamburger by now. Losing the duel means NOTHING."

"You murdering psychopath! You're gonna pay for what you've done! And I'll start with the Swords of Revealing Light!" Light swords appeared all around Jimbo and his card, revealing it to be Charcoal Inpachi.

Charcoal Inpachi: 100/2100

"This duel's over, and you'd better pray you were wrong about my friend. I sacrifice both my monsters to resummon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

Gren Maju da Eiza and Inferno vanished, as the Phoenix again rose from the ground.

Sacred Phoenix: 2400/1600

"And Inferno's back too!" Jay removed Gren from the graveyard, and Inferno reappeared.

Inferno: 1100/1900

"Phoenix, nail this sicko's monster!" Sacred Phoenix unleashed fireballs, and Charcoal Inpachi was barbequed.

"It's been fun..." said Jimbo with a grin.

"INFERNO, FINISH IT!" Inferno flashed forward, burning Jimbo.

Jimbo LP: 0

One final explosion rocked the warehouse. It was coming down NOW.

* * *

Inside, CyberV saw the ceiling beginning to cave in.

"IT'S NOW OR NEVER! I BELIEVE IN YOU, RED-EYES! ATTACK THE ENTRANCE WITH INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" Red-Eyes felt the power surging and let loose with it's fireball attack.

* * *

Outside, Raging Flame Sprite turned suddenly.

"GET AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE!" she yelled at Ashes, who wisely complied just in time to see a massive fireball shatter the rubble blocking the entrance. As the smoke cleared, she heard someone coughing despite the overwhelming sounds of the entire building falling apart. As the dust settled, she saw, of all things, a wiped out CyberV stagging out of the hole in the wall. Covered in dust and soot, but undeniably alive.

And pissed.

"They did it..." he said softly.

"NO!" exclaimed Jimbo. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Jay couldn't believe it. How on earth did CyberV get out of there? Not that it mattered, but-

"You did good," said CyberV to Jay. "But right now... I've got unfinished business with this psychopath."

Jimbo scoffed. "Yeah, right. You can barely even stand up right now. Whatcha gonna do? COUGH on me?"

"You said... that this was a shadow game... And when there's a shadow game, the loser plays... a PENALTY GAME. You lost, Jimbo... And now you're going to pay... for trespassing upon our souls." He pointed a finger at Jimbo as the Wdjat on his forehead flared up one last time. "PENALTY GAME! DEVOURING FLAMES!"

Before the unbelieving eyes of Jay, Ashes, and especially Jimbo, Inferno grinned and looked at Jimbo, before once more rushing forward, opening it's mouth wide, and SWALLOWING him.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" screamed Jimbo, feeling the flames as they scorched him. "IT BURNS! IT BURNS! OH GOD! OH GOD! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

The holograms and flames faded, but Jimbo's pain remained, as he imagined himself ablaze in the belly of a flame monster. The wdjat vanished, and CyberV started to collapse, Jay catching him just in time.

"WOAH! What did you just do?!"

"I... don't know..." CyberV was obviously in no shape to even try and explain what a penalty game was, or how he knew about them.

"We'd better get him to the infirmary," said Ashes, who suddenly realized that the Sprite had vanished.

"Yeah," said Jay. "Come on, man... We've got you."

Ashes moved to help, pausing briefly to look at the writhing Jimbo. "What about him?"

"Yeah," said Jay, with burning anger welling up. "What about him?"

Letting the question lie unanswered, they walked away. Once they were gone, Poison and Ramesus stepped from the shadows.

"Magic is real... You were right..." Poison couldn't believe it. It was all true.

"Yes. Excuse me." He walked over to Jimbo, his forehead glowing with a wdjat. "Get up and stop embarrassing yourself." Suddenly, Jimbo's pain was gone, and, unsteadily, he realized he wasn't burning. Slowly, he stood up, shaking his head.

"Did I do okay?"

"You were PERFECT," said Ramesus. "CyberV has tapped into the shadow power, and done even more than I would have thought possible without actually having the Scepter in his possession. He may actually be a THREAT."

Ramesus chuckled. Poison just watched the burning rubble of the warehouse, making a note to keep the other thing he'd done a secret. In his pocket laid a single piece of paper. What none but he knew was that, once Jimbo had left the warehouse, he had taken the opportunity to copy down every card in CyberV's second deck. He wasn't sure what he'd do with it just yet, but he knew it was bound to come in handy.

For now, however, he was content to watch the rubble burn.

* * *

As they staggered back towards the main campus, they saw a friendly face coming to greet them.

"OH MY GOD!" exclaimed Nat. "What happened?!"

"Shadow game," said Ashes. "That psychotic Jimbo tried to kill him."

"Oh man..."

"Where've you been?" asked Jay. "We coulda used you back there."

"She was with me," said Hikari as she emerged from behind a bush. "I see he made it out alive. Pity. I thought shadow games culled the weak and corrupt."

CyberV, exhausted, couldn't help but get irate with her. "What... is your PROBLEM!?!? Ever since I first saw you, you've wanted to bash my skull in! WHY!?"

"He doesn't know." Hikari couldn't believe it. "He doesn't know! You IDIOT! DON'T YOU GET IT?!"

"Get... what?"

"The Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon belong to me! They're my legacy! My birthright!"

Slowly, dawning realization crossed CyberV's face. Jay and Ashes were stunned as well.

"No way..." muttered Ashes.

"She couldn't be..." said Jay, astonished despite all he'd seen tonight.

"YOU IDIOT!" yelled Hikari one last time. "MY NAME IS HIKARI WHEELER! JOEY WHEELER IS MY FATHER, AND I WANT THOSE CARDS BACK NOW!"

And as the two Spirits reappeared on either side of Hikari, CyberV couldn't help but imagine a spectral image of Joey Wheeler hanging over them all...

NEXT TIME: Daughter of the Ally! Hikari Wheeler, heir to the Legacy!


	5. Hikari Wheeler, Heir to the Legacy!

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: To discover what shadow power CyberV might have, Ramesus directed Jimbo and Poison to set up a life or death shadow game. Kidnaping CyberV, Jimbo forced Jay into a duel, while CyberV was trapped in an exploding card storage warehouse. When Ashes attempted a rescue, an explosion triggered the shadow power within CyberV, creating a Duel Spirit for Ashes (Raging Flame Sprite), and temporarily made Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Rocket Warrior solid, long enough to effect an escape. Unknown to anyone, Poison, meanwhile, held information on CyberV's second deck. At the same time, Nat confronted Hikari, and discovered that she was really the daughter of Joey Wheeler, hellbent on reclaiming what she feels was stolen from her.

* * *

"Well, that was a completely horrible first day..." muttered CyberV as he sat on a bad in the school infirmary. Sitting in chairs just beyond the foot of the bed were Mouse, Drift, and Ikke.

"You expect us to believe you make Duel Spirits come to life?" asked Ikke. "That's just insane."

"It happened," said CyberV. "The same thing happened to Ashes. Raging Flame Sprite came to life and saved her from an explosion. That's the only reason she's not in here suffering third degree burns."

"Well, it's not like we don't believe you," said Drift, "but there was no sign of Jimbo when we got out there to take a look."

"Ramesus must have found him," sighed the young duelist. "He was probably right there with whomever was on the other end of that speaker setup."

"That was likely Poison," said Mouse. "Their resident spellcaster expert. I hear he's a special effects genius and a practicing stage magician, but I've never seen his work in person. That kind of stunt reeks of his handiwork. But since everything was destroyed in the fire, we can't prove any of it."

"And it gets worse," said LazyMan as he walked in. "Several students have already seen Jimbo this morning, and he's just fine. If you DID use a Penalty Game, SOMEONE was able to undo it completely."

"At least I know why Ramesus did all this," said CyberV. "He had to be trying to see if I had any shadow power. It's the only reasonable explanation... Not that any of that was reasonable to begin with. I still can't figure out how I even knew what a Penalty Game was."

"Well, if it was Poison's handiwork, he had to have seen everything," said Mouse. "Which means Ramesus knows exactly how strong you are."

"And that's not even the worst news," said CyberV, looking away. "Hikari... What she said was true?"

"Yes," said Drift as he checked his notes. "Apparently she's Joey Wheeler's adopted daughter. She received her invitation some time before you, but only accepted it shortly after you accepted your own."

"She must have heard you were coming," said LazyMan, "and came here for revenge."

"Which means," said CyberV, "that she's in terrible danger..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 5: Daughter of the Ally! Hikari Wheeler, heir to the Legacy!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Sitting in her dorm room, Hikari glanced at a picture of her father, on the day he brought her home. Sitting in darkness, she couldn't help but think about how she became the daughter of one of the greatest Duel Monsters players.

It had begun, for her, early in life. She'd been born Hikari Jensen, the daughter of a dock worker and, bluntly, a mother that seemed to exist solely to watch soap operas. They didn't have a very extravagant lifestyle. Almost all her father's effort went into putting food on the table in their dingy apartment, which, at the best of times, he could barely afford to keep.

It wasn't a fun life at all. Her only solace came in the form of her father's abandoned Duel Monsters cards. He'd once been an average player, someone who won the occasional local tournament, but not good enough for the serious competition. No, he would never stand a chance against the likes of Seto Kaiba or Yugi Mutou. He'd been forced to quit the game in order to find more work in the wake of her birth. But he'd never blamed her for that. Instead, he encouraged her to learn the game, although his Duel Disk was, by far, too large for her to wear. Still, with no real friends, she imagined that the cards were her friends, and the Disk was very good at helping that fantasy along.

She was five when she lost her parents. It had been raining and her father was speeding to beat the worst of the storm headed their way. He took a turn too fast...

She'd blacked out, and awoken to the news that she was all alone in the world. Neither of her parents had an extensive family, and thus she was to be a ward of the state. She entered an orphanage with only her clothes and her father's disk and cards to her name. The other children would occasionally try to steal them, but she quickly hardened her heart and fought back relentlessly, until they all knew never to make her angry. The Disk and cards were now her entire world, and she swore that she wouldn't lose anything else.

She continued to train herself, but found that she no longer could advance... Not without more cards. She had once dreamed of being a Duelist... And it seemed she would lose that dream as well.

Until he appeared.

* * *

"What do you mean?" asked Ikke. "She's not in any danger."

"We ALL are," said CyberV. "THINK ABOUT IT. The daughter of Joey Wheeler, consumed with hatred and thoughts of revenge? Ramesus is bound to try and recruit her. And if he does have shadow powers, it's only a matter of time until he tries to move beyond the school."

Ikke didn't get it. Drift was lost. LazyMan and Mouse, however, understood the simplicity and terror of the situation.

"She's a direct connection to Yugi Mutou, the only person to consistently be able to defeat shadow duelists and save the world from the power of Millennium Items. If he gets her onto his side, he's got the perfect defense against him." Mouse couldn't believe it. "She's a strong duelist, and that, combined with her intimate knowledge of dueling strategies and personal connections... She's the ultimate weapon for Evil."

LazyMan said nothing. He hadn't seen this coming. "And if she won't join willingly, he'll find a way to force her." He was almost trembling with rage... and more than a little fear. "The problem is that we also can't stop it. Her behavior precludes us from inviting her to join our group, which means Ramesus can invite her at any time."

"So break the rules," said CyberV. "It's not like Ramesus is playing fairly."

"We can't. We have to maintain the balance, and that means we must be honorable and adhere to our codes of conduct at all times."

"If she joins Evil, there won't be a Balance left to maintain." CyberV paused. "Let me duel her."

"You?" asked Drift. "No offense, but you're really not qualified."

"Maybe not, but I'm the one she has a problem with. Maybe I can get her to work out all her frustrations through a round of Duel Monsters. It's worth a shot, right?"

"You might stand a chance," said Mouse. "You definitely showed yourself to be a Duelist of integrity during our... Well, you know."

"And if there's any chance of freeing her from this anger she's holding," said CyberV, "we have to take it. Not just for her sake, but because the entire world owes it to Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler."

"...All right," said LazyMan. "You've convinced me that we need to try. It won't be hard getting her to duel you, but we'll need it to be an initiation duel, and convincing her to join us is going to be tricky with you on the team."

"I think I can handle that," said a voice at the door. Everyone turned to see Mokuba standing before them, still somewhat shaken after his confrontation with Ramesus. "It's the least I can do after blowing it with Ramesus last night." He looked at CyberV. "Glad I'm finally getting to meet you. Sorry I messed up. I didn't know he was going to pull a Shadow Game without using his powers."

"...Ummm... Who are you?"

Mouse and Drift flopped. LazyMan sweatdropped. Mokuba just sighed. "They didn't tell you, huh? Mokuba Kaiba."

CyberV's eyes went wide. "No way... But that means..." An image of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon flickered through his mind, one of the rarest monsters in the game. Only four of the card had ever been made, and only three were still intact... All of which would have to be in the deck of either Mokuba or his brother Seto.

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah. I work here, keeping the peace between the two teams. At least, that's how it's supposed to work. But now..."

"Now it's my job..."

"I guess so."

"I'm no Yugi..."

"You won't need to be. Now don't you worry about getting Hikari to accept. Just worry about surviving the duel."

CyberV nodded. Joey Wheeler's deck was strong enough to go toe to toe with Yugi's... And that means that Hikari's would be just as powerful.

* * *

Hikari fought back tears. Thinking about what she had lost as a child always brought back painful memories. She closed her eyes and continued to remember that fateful day at the orphanage.

The toughest kids in the Orphanage, bullies all, decided that they wanted her cards and deck, and would stop at nothing to take them from her. On the playground, they surrounded her, leaving her no escape, and no options except to surrender her treasures or fight for them.

She knocked the first two down by deploying the holo imagers from her disk into their chests, and bloodied the noses of three more by the time the first two landed. But they had the advantage of numbers, and quickly brought her down. As she struggled on the ground, they started to remove her disk from her arm...

And a voice called out.

"HEY! BACK OFF! That's no way ta treat a lady, you lousy punks!" The other kids obviously didn't want to challenge an adult, because they backed off and let her go. "Go on! Beat it!" The man walked over to her and knelt down to help her up. "Hey, are you all right?"

She shoved his hand away, embarrassed that she'd almost lost her treasures and needed help. "Just leave me alone!"

He didn't. Instead, he handed her one of the holo imagers... She could see that he wore a disk like her father's. "I was just trying to help. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an unfair fight. Not that you couldn't have taken' em, but I thought I should even the odds." He smiled, and she felt safe for the first time since the night her life had changed.

She was shocked when she realized that she recognized this man. "You're Joey Wheeler! The Duel Monsters champion!"

He rubbed the back of his head, obviously happy to be recognized. "Well, my pal Yugi's the real champ, but I do what I can." He decided then to get serious again. "So, what's your name?"

"Hikari."

"Hikari, huh? Cool name. You're a duelist?"

"I wanted to be one, once... Then I wound up here."

Joey nodded, understanding. "I know how you feel. Sometimes life can be cruel. I've been there, fighting for a dream and falling short right at the finish line..." She would later learn he was remembering his duel with the man called Marik, trying to save Mai Valentine, only to fail when his endurance ran out two seconds before he could claim victory.

"I never even got to try."

"Now that's a lousy attitude to have," he said, annoyed. "Enough pity party! You're tough, kinda like me! All you've gotta do is reach for that dream, and you can achieve anything!"

"You're just saying that. Dreams come here to die."

"No, I mean it!" He thought for a moment. "Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. You promise not to give up on your dream, and I'll do everything I can to help you make it a reality."

Her eyes had widened at that. But then she'd realized how impossible it was for him to keep that promise. "But I'll probably be adopted soon. I'd never see you again."

"Not if I'M the one adopting you."

"Do...Do you mean that?" To have a family again? To have a dream again? Just having the possibility tore at the stone wall she'd built around her spirit since her arrival.

"Hey, when Joey Wheeler makes a promise, he does everything he can to keep it, and I promised you that I'd help you become a champion duelist. And if that means adopting you, then... Well, you know... Come on, let's see if we can't go do this thing, huh?"

He'd kept that promise. It took a little while, but before the seasons changed, she had become Hikari Wheeler, the newest addition to a family of friends that had saved the world more than once. She learned tactics, strategy, and creativity from both her new father and Yugi Mutou, the king of games. She became a formidable Duelist in her own right, even defeating seasoned pros like Rex Raptor, and impressing, if not Seto Kaiba, than his younger brother Mokuba.

Then, one day, her father had given her a deck like his own... She soon learned that they were almost all his own deck from Battle City, with her favorites from her father's deck, the Vehicroids, added in. This new deck would remind her of both her fathers, and have the hearts of them and her in it, making it almost unstoppable.

Only a few months ago, she had received an invitation from the Arcane Academy, but hadn't decided yet if she was going to accept... Until she'd learned that two of the cards that meant the most to her father had been given away to some stranger in the park. She didn't understand, and her adopted father was honestly at a loss to explain why, saying only that he had this feeling he was supposed to.

Yugi had taught her about the Heart of the Cards, and how sometimes a card chooses a duelist... But as she learned more about the one who had claimed the Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior, the more she was convinced that her father had been mistaken... No, tricked. No one could be that bad and get anything from the Heart. Not her father's cards at any rate. No, just thinking about it made her livid, and she swore that she was going to get those cards back, restore them to her father to repay him for everything he'd done to help her.

She'd learned that the trickster had been invited to the Arcane Academy as she was, the final fact that cemented CyberV as a lying thief in her mind. No rank amateur would receive an invitation like that. She told her extended family that she wanted to accept the invitation, and not a week later, she was on the same plane as him, headed towards the most secretive of all the dueling schools.

She would do more than make them proud. She would avenge this insult to their legacy.

She opened her eyes, feeling nothing but hatred for the one who would desecrate her family's legacy.

And she heard a knock at her door.

* * *

"This is so weird..." muttered Ashes as she watched another student walk directly through Raging Flame Sprite without noticing.

"It's nice to be out of that card of your's," said the Sprite. "It was kind of cramped. This is a LOT better. I get to stretch my legs, explore..."

"What's so weird?" asked Nat.

"Errr..." Ashes sweatdropped. "You don't see her either?"

"See who?" Nat looked directly at the Sprite, but saw only hallway. "OH! You mean the spirit you said saved you last night? She's here?" The Sprite moved behind Nat.

"She's giving you bunny ears right now." Nat turned, saw nothing. The Sprite, however, quickly put her hands behind her back and whistled innocently.

"Killjoy..." muttered the Sprite.

"...You sure you're okay?" asked Nat.

"Yeah... Still a bit shaken up after the explosion."

"Maybe the Sprite's caused by a head injury..."

"SHE'S/I'M NOT A HEAD INJURY!" yelled Ashes and the Sprite, causing heads to turn. Ashes blushed. The Sprite snickered.

"...Oooookay..." Nat shrugged. "Anyway, so you and Jay got involved with a shadow game, but there's no trace of it except the rubble of the warehouse?"

"Yeah. It's creepy. Like a bad dream, except it put our favorite Otaku Geek in a hospital bed."

"My ears are burning," said CV as he came up behind them. "I guess I'm still a bit crispy." He sighed. "I think I'll swear off roasted foods for a while." He took a drink from a water bottle.

"EWWW..." Nat shuddered at the mental images that came to mind.

"So, where's Jay?"

"Mouse has him writing an essay on why he shouldn't use slow burn on life points when it can get people killed."

"Ah..." Ashes and CV nodded sagely.

"I figure he'll be done... Ohhh... In about a week."

A loud banging was heard in the distance, along with a familiar growl.

"Speaking of things that ought to have been finished..." muttered CV as he saw a very angry Jimbo coming their way. He looked like a demon in his rage.

"YOU!" He pointed a finger at CV. "You tried to cook me."

"I suppose I should have gone with the vinaigrette..." muttered the rookie duelist, rubbing his chin as if in thought. "Still, Inferno just looked SO hungry."

"I'm hungry too." He raised his other hand, and in it was the stun gun he'd sued to put CV in that predicament in the first place. "For a little payback."

CV shrugged. "Okay, but I must warn you, I have heard that being an idiot with an electrical device can be hazardous to your health." He ducked as Jimbo lunged at him with the stun gun, rolling out of the way.

"Hold still!" He swung it in an arc, which CV barely sidestepped.

"Hold still? What? You think I'm as dumb as you? Thanks no." CV stepped back a few feet.

"Think we should help him?" asked Nat.

"Which one?"

"Good point."

"KNOCK HIS BLOCK OFF!" yelled Flame Sprite.

"YEAH! GET THAT JERK!" chimed in Rocket Warrior as he appeared next to Nat's spirit.

With a completely inarticulate scream of rage, Jimbo lunged once again at CV, who raised his arm up and splashed Jimbo and the stun gun with the contents of his water bottle. The stun gun immediately short circuited and Jimbo cried out and collapsed, shocked by his own weapon.

"Ouch..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

"Didn't see that one coming..." added the Sprite.

"Man, someone needs to talk to the janitorial staff," said CV. "Too much filth in the hallways." He sniffed the air. "DEFINITELY need to cut down on roasted foods."

Ashes and Nat just blinked. They could already hear some of the professors coming.

"Maybe you should crack jokes later..." nudged Nat.

"Ooh. He's still twitching..." said CV as Ashes grabbed him by the collar to drag him away.

"Cut it out! What were you thinking!?" The girls slammed him into a locker. "You could've killed him!" Ashes couldn't believe this.

"No, I couldn't." CV looked at Jimbo. "Stun guns come equipped with rubber grips. While the water I hit him with did transfer some of the current to him, the rubber in the grip and on his shoes would insulate him from a lethal charge. He got, at most, a fifth of what he hit me with yesterday. He'll be fine in a couple hours."

"...How'd you know that?"

"Too many episodes of Case Closed." CV grinned. "Otaku Geek, remember? Made me a bit of a deductive wizard." He turned his gaze towards Jimbo, who was already stirring. "See?"

"Huh..." muttered Nat. "Not bad. Still a stupid thing to do, but not bad."

"Why thank you..." He bowed slightly as a couple professors finally arrived. One started helping Jimbo up, while the other one confiscated the damaged stun gun. They started dragging him towards the infirmary. Jimbo was still almost completely out of it... Which was par for the course with him, and thus a sure sign of his imminent recovery.

"Too bad you weren't being a deductive wizard when you met Ramesus..." CV flopped.

Flame Sprite snickered. "I like Nat. I like her a lot."

"Yeah, she grows on you." Rocket Warrior was trying hard not to laugh.

* * *

"It's me," said Mokuba. "Can I talk to you?"

Hikari opened her door to let in the one familiar face on the campus.

"I'm guessing you were the one that sent the invitation."

Mokuba nodded. "I thought you should go here, so when they made me an advisor, I made sure there was room for you."

"I should thank you. I'll be able to get my dad's cards back because of that invitation."

"Hikari... There's a lot more going on than you know."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You see, I didn't just invite you because you're my friend and I thought you'd fit in... I invited you here because this entire school was built to protect a Millennium Item."

Hikari did a double take. "WHAT?! But... But Dad said they were all destroyed!"

"And they were... All the ones he knew about. But there's two more," said Mokuba. "The one here is called the Scepter of the Balance. I'm not too clear on what it can do, but the school's legends talk about a chosen Warrior, who would claim it and maintain the balance between good and evil."

"You mean Uncle Yugi? But he and the Spirit of the Puzzle did that years ago."

"No. Hikari, the Scepter chose someone else just yesterday."

"Who?"

"You know who."

She narrowed her eyes and bit back the urge to growl. "You've GOT to be kidding me. HIM?!" She thought of CyberV, wielding a Millennium Item, and saw red.

"Yes. He was tricked into a duel with Ramesus, the head of the Evil Duelists group on campus... He accidentally joined both sides and the Scepter chose him... Right before it was stolen."

"Yeah, right. He probably hocked it."

"That's enough, Hikari." Mokuba spoke with a tone that was not to be denied. "The real reason I invited you was because you were the most qualified to help protect the Scepter, because of your time with Joey and Yugi. I have experience with the Items, sure, but you know way more about all of it than I do. And now that the Scepter's been stolen..."

"You want me to help him? Not likely."

"Hikari..."

"Stop saying my name like it means 'shut up'. I know what the Items can do, Mokuba. But I can't believe for an instant that that... That LIAR could be worthy of one."

"Then don't believe it. But there is something else. Word's spreading about who you really are. Sooner or later, the Evil Duelists are going to find out, and they're going to try and recruit you and make you into a weapon."

She smirked. "I'd like to see them try."

"I'd like to keep it from happening," said Mokuba. "I want you to take an initiation duel for Good. If you pass, Ramesus can't invite you into Evil."

She gave him a look that could peel paint. "Why on earth would I accept something like that?"

"You wouldn't... Not normally, but people with shadow power can make others do what they want."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Mokuba. I can take care of myself."

Mokuba sighed. "Will you at least think about the good initiation?"

"Maybe after I get the cards back. Maybe."

Mokuba turned for the door. "Be careful, Hikari... I'm scared for you." He closed the door behind him.

"You should be scared for that so-called Warrior. So, you didn't just scam my father, you've scammed the school." She clenched her fists. "Taking you down'll be a pleasure."

* * *

"You should know better than to play with electronics in the halls," admonished Ramesus as he looked at the still twitching Jimbo. "And now you've gone and gotten yourself detention for a month. Not very smart at all."

"I just wanted to-"

"To beat him up. Yes yes yes. It's all you talked about last night, and it's getting tiresome." Ramesus sighed. "Just try to act like a civilized human being, and leave bringing the Warrior down to me."

Jimbo glared at Ramesus, but said nothing. He didn't dare. Ramesus was strong enough to break whatever CyberV had done to him. He had no doubt Ramesus could bring it back, too.

Ramesus left the infirmary and nodded to Dark Shroud, Mikey, and Poison. "Come on. We'd best begin preparations for our next plan of action."

"What about Jimbo?" asked Mikey.

"He'll be fine if he follows orders. For now, we move without him. Now, have any of you heard about any promising recruits? I can't help but notice we didn't exactly jump on anyone during initiations yesterday."

"I have..." said Dark Shroud, hesitantly. He gulped as he realized he suddenly had Ramesus' full attention. "A new girl. Not only an excellent duelist, but she's got a real mad-on for CyberV. She looks like she wants to tear him limb from limb anytime they're within ten feet of each other."

"And does this girl have a name?"

Dark Shroud was over his nervousness now. He was to the best part. He grinned.

"Wheeler. Hikari Wheeler."

Ramesus' eyes widened and he grinned even wider than Dark Shroud. "Oh, you don't mean... As in JOEY WHEELER? Oh, that's TOO perfect. You're right. We should recruit her immediately."

Poison nodded. "Leave it to me, Boss." He thought of a piece of paper in his dorm room. A piece of paper with CyberV's second deck on it. "I think I know just how to make it happen."

* * *

She'd discovered the note on her door upon her return from classes. One quick glance told her that this Ramesus guy wasn't wasting any time. Still, she figured there wasn't any harm in just checking things out. She arrived outside the library at 9PM like the note said to. She wasn't sure what to expect.

"Hikari Wheeler?" asked Poison as he came up behind her.

She turned, and in one smooth move, pinned him to the wall with her elbow.

"Yeah."

"Nice moves."

"Thanks. Who are you?"

"I'm called Poison."

"Must be a strange birth certificate somewhere."

He ignored the crack, struck by both her elbow and the grace in which she'd performed the maneuver. He fancied himself a master magician, and no magician was complete without a graceful assistant. It didn't hurt that she was a striking, if not slightly hard-edged, beauty. "Ummm... Yes, of course."

"Now how about getting to the point? You have one minute."

"C-Certainly. I've come to extend an invitation to you from the Evil Duelists. We like what we see, and we think you have great potential."

She cocked an eyebrow. "You HONESTLY think someone trained by Yugi Mutou would join something BLATANTLY admitting it's evil?"

"Ordinarily, no," admitted Poison. "BUT... We CAN help you to regain that which was taken from your family so recently." He held up a piece of paper. "If you would be so kind as to release me?"

Not trusting him, she reluctantly released him from her elbow lock and looked him in the eye.

"You've got twenty seconds left."

"On this piece of paper is a list of every card CyberV uses in his Rocket Warrior deck. I can also supply you, if needed, with a list of his Red-Eyes cards. If... No, WHEN you face him in a duel, armed with this knowledge, you will be more than suitably prepared to deal him a crushing defeat and take back the cards he's desecrated."

"How'd you manage that?"

Poison gave a benign smile. "A magician never reveals his secrets..."

"Something like this comes with a price."

"Very astute, my dear. All I ask is that you give our invitation serious consideration."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

Hikari looked away, considering all her options.

"You know what you have to do, Hikari..." said Poison. "All you need to do is grab the opportunity."

Slowly, she turned back towards him, her eyes filled with a righteous fury that Poison found genuinely exciting.

"All right. I'll use the list."

"And the invitation?"

"I'll... I'll think about it..." She looked away again, certain that her father would disapprove. She knew, however, that what she did now was necessary. She looked back, but Poison was gone, leaving only the list, which he'd somehow slipped into her front jacket pocket with a rose he had not had before.

Hesitantly, she pulled out the list and began memorizing it.

* * *

As he looked out at the moon and the stars, CyberV couldn't help this feeling of impending danger. If he were in a joking mood, he would have made a wiseacre comment about spider-senses, but he was in no mood for jokes.

"Ow..." muttered Jay as he placed his hand in ice. "Only Mouse would make a guy write an essay that long."

CyberV didn't hear him. He was focused on finding a way to get through to Hikari.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

CyberV heard him that time, and turned to meet his gaze. "No. I'm worried about Hikari. I have a bad feeling that things are about to get ugly."

"The girl's out to get you. Normally, that'd be a GOOD thing, but in this case..."

"In this case, letting her would leave her wide open to Ramesus."

He returned his gaze to the window, and could see his duel spirits materializing just outside. Red-Eyes growled softly, sharing his own concern for the daughter of his former master. Rocket Warrior, however, could voice his thoughts.

"Hikari's always been a hot head, but she isn't stupid. If Ramesus goes after her, I'd be more worried about HIM."

"That's right..." muttered CyberV. "The two of you know her better than anyone in the school."

"Ummm... Who are you talking to?" Jay was confused.

"The duel spirits."

"Oh. Right." Jay shrugged. Why did he get all the crazy friends?

"Hikari's led a rough life," said Rocket Warrior. "She lost her parents when she was just a kid. She got bullied in the orphanage until Joey took her in. When she feels she's been wronged by someone, she doesn't rest until she has satisfaction."

"Which means I need to be prepared."

"Yeah," said Rocket Warrior. "I know what her deck is. I could tell you."

"That wouldn't be fair... No thanks... But you CAN tell me one thing."

"What?"

"I know she uses a lot of Joey Wheeler's cards. That's a given. I know she doesn't have you two, but what are some of her father's OTHER missing cards?"

Rocket Warrior blinked. Then he understood.

"I gotcha. Okay, THIS is what you should do..."

* * *

Morning came quickly for some, and not soon enough for one student. A Duelist with a mission, Hikari stalked the halls. Even as the sun rose, she headed for LazyMan's office. When she arrived, she wasn't surprised to see Mokuba there. She hadn't expected to see the source of her anger as well. CyberV was sitting there, obviously finishing a conversation with them.

"Can I help you?" asked LazyMan.

"Yesterday, Mokuba told me I should consider applying to your little group." Mokuba nodded. "If you have room, I'd like to take you guys up on that."

"An initiation duel? If you're sure, I could certainly arrange one for sometime next week."

"No. Today. Noon." She looked at CyberV. "And I want HIM to be my opponent."

'Looks like I was right,' thought CyberV. 'She's mad as a hornet. But if Rocket Warrior's right, I know what to do.'

"Now, he really isn't qualified..."

"I'll do it." said CyberV, cutting LazyMan off. "I.. I owe her that much."

"Darn right you do. And when I beat you, I'm reclaiming what you stole from my father."

"No."

She paused, and gave him a look that could peel paint. "'No'?"

"No. I'll duel you, but only under one condition. I have the duration of the duel to convince you I'm not a lying, conniving snake in the grass. If I fail to do so, you get the cards. But if I succeed, they stay with me."

"So I have to listen to you lie through your teeth for the five turns it'll take to wipe the floor with you?"

"That's all. Although I doubt it'll be that easy for you."

"I was trained by the best."

"Yes. You were. Which is why I'm looking forward to facing you." CyberV smiled softly. "I'll see you at noon. Good's dueling arena?"

"Works for me." She turned and left. Once she was out of earshot, Mokuba looked at CyberV.

"Well, the first phase of your plan's complete. What now?"

"Now, I try to survive her onslaught and get through to her."

* * *

Word of the challenge spread quickly. The daughter of a legend, trained by the King of Games? THAT was a duel to see.

Ramesus grinned as he heard the news. "Perfect. Phase one of the plan is complete." He turned to Greekman. "Make sure all of the inner circle attends the duel. This should be one for the history books."

* * *

Any good performance would draw a crowd. A Legacy? THAT would fill the stands. Thus was the case as CyberV entered the dueling arena. It was packed, not just with good, but with Evil and unaffiliated students as well. In the crowd, he could make out Magyk, Strong Man, Tapkar, even Allis, the girl who had failed her initiation duel with Ikke. He resisted the urge to wave to the crowd. They weren't here to see HIM, after all.

Instead, his eyes scanned the crowd, and he saw Ramesus, sitting near the very top of the arena. Gathered with him were the rest of the Evil Duelists... At least, he assumed they were, since he'd only met Jimbo... He noted with satisfaction that Jimbo was absent.

* * *

"Aw, come on... I wanna go see the duel!"

"Shut up and do your homework."

"Rassum frassum..."

* * *

Behind him, he could see his friends. Jay, still nursing his hand. Nat, concerned. Ashes, simply looking forward to seeing a good duel. Red-Eyes and the Flame Sprite were there, too. He was going to use the Rocket Warrior deck for this duel. If he was going to convince her he was a good guy, he couldn't do it with a deck consisting primarily of dark cards.

Sitting at the edge of the arena were Mokuba, LazyMan, and Drift. Standing in the center of the arena was Mouse, a microphone in hand.

"You sure about this?" asked Mouse.

"Too late for second thoughts now. We just have to hope my plan works."

Mouse nodded, and turned as Hikari entered the arena. She was all business, staring straight ahead with a gaze that could drill through concrete. On her arm was her father's duel disk.

"Get ready to return what you stole."

"Open your eyes, Hikari. I'm not the bad guy."

"You are, and if there's one thing my father taught me, it's that the bad guy always loses in the end."

"Fine. Enough talk. IT'S DUELING TIME!" CV switched his disk to play mode.

"On that we agree." Hikari did the same. The feel of the monster zones snapping into place was always a comforting reminder of all she lost, and all she fought for now. "Any last words before I crush you?"

"ONE!" said CyberV, adding one finger to a pointing stance for each number he counted off. "I'm not a thief! TWO! You may not believe me, but I'm a friend!"

"...Is he doing one of his stupid sentai homages?" asked Nat.

"Yes..." muttered Jay and Ashes, sweatdropping.

"THREE! You're in grave danger, and I'm going to save you! FOUR! I owe your father a great debt, and today I repay it in spades! FIVE! I'll take you down for your own good, and prove my innocence!"

Hikari couldn't believe this idiotic posing. Still, it wasn't as bad as when her dad had danced during his duel with Mako...

"WARRIOR OF THE BALANCE! CYBERV... FOR VICTORY!" He snapped into a victory pose, flashing a v-symbol with his hand.

"THAT'S who we're trying to beat?" asked Greekman. "You're joking. Please tell me you're joking."

"He's not as foolish as he likes to pretend," said Ramesus. "But let him play out his little mind games. They only help us."

"Sigh..." CyberV was slightly disappointed. "That works SO much better with theme music and a background explosion."

Mouse clocked him on the head. "WOULD YOU GET SERIOUS ALREADY?!"

"OW!" He rubbed his head. "Fine, fine... Mind if I start this off?"

"Go ahead. Just means I get the first attack."

CyberV: 8000

Hikari: 8000

CyberV nodded and drew a sixth card. "Here we go! I'll start by placing two cards facedown, and a monster facedown as well." He grinned. "And don't forget our bet, Hikari. If I convince you that I'm honest, I keep the cards."

'He's going to use his lifepoint manipulation strategy,' thought Hikari. "My turn." She drew. "And I'll start with a magic card called Dark Hole!"

A black vortex appeared on the field. CyberV's facedown monster, Giant Rat, appeared and was sucked inside.

'Oh no! Giant Rat's special ability doesn't activate unless he's destroyed in battle! That means I can't use him to summon a stronger monster from my deck now!'

"Huh. A Giant Rat for a giant rat."

"Yeah, I enjoyed the symmetry, too." He narrowed his eyes. She was in no mood for idle chatter. She was out for blood. "But symmetry can be overrated! REVEAL TRAP CARD! BAD REACTION TO SIMOCHI!" Bad Reaction rose from it's facedown position. "Now every effect that would raise your life points becomes a deficit instead!"

"Think again," said Hikari as she played another card from her hand. "MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" She placed it in her deck, and a monestrous storm arose, shattering Bad Reaction. "The Typhoon destroys any one magic or trap card on the field. Your strategy's done for."

'She's right... My only facedown is Eye of Truth, but without Bad Reaction, it'd just keep raising her life points each turn. Yeah, I'd have full view of her cards, but against someone as well trained as her? It'd be the next worst thing to surrendering!'

In the stands, Poison grinned. "She's doing well." In truth, he was admiring far more than just her dueling skills. He didn't give a rose to just any girl.

"And now, I'll summon Little-Winguard!" A small knight appeared.

Little-Winguard: 1400/1800

"And since I'm fairly sure your facedown won't save you, I'll have my monster attack you directly with Wing Blade!" Little-Winguard charged forth and slashed at CyberV.

CyberV: 6600

Hikari: 8000

"I'll place one card facedown. That ends my turn." A card appeared behind Little-Winguard.

"Nice moves," said CyberV as he drew. "Your dad'd be proud."

"SHUT UP! You're not worthy to clean his shoes!"

"If you say so..." CyberV shrugged. "I just respect him, s'all."

"Then return what you stole."

"I didn't steal anything, and by the time this duel's done, you'll believe me. But for now, I'll play Mystical Tomato in attack mode!" The Tomato appeared, grinning.

Mystic Tomato: 1400/1100

"I'll also add Last Will, which lets me summon another monster when one of my own is destroyed on the turn it's played."

Hikari gave a grim smile. "You're going to let our monsters kill each other."

"That's the plan. MYSTIC TOMATO! ATTACK WITH SEED SHOT!" Mystic Tomato spat tomato seeds at Little-Winguard.

"Your plan's a joke! Reveal Skull Dice!" Hikari's card rose, and a small demon sprite emerged, holding a die.

"Oh no..."

"Oh yes. Skull Dice will decrease your monster's attack by the result of the roll times one hundred, and since they're equal in strength now, ANY number means your Mystic Tomato's toast! GO SKULL DICE!" The demon sprite released the die, and it struck the ground and began rolling... until it hit a one. "Oh come on! A one! DAD never got a one!"

Mystic Tomato: 1400-100 1300atk

Little-Winguard's sword batted the seeds right back at Mystic Tomato, pulping the monster.

CyberV: 6500

Hikari: 8000

"Not what I wanted, but still not bad."

"Not bad for me," said CyberV. "Last Will activates, and I can summon a monster with 1500 or fewer attack points to the field! I choose Enraged Muka Muka!" The strange monster appeared.

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600

"And thanks to it's special ability, he gains 400 attack and defense points for every card in my hand!"

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600 + 800/800 2000/1400

"And don't forget Mystic Tomato's special ability! Since he was destroyed in battle, I can summon a dark monster with an attack of 1500 or less in attack mode. Meet the Witch of the Black Forest!" The Witch appeared, cackling.

Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200

"Granted, I can't attack this turn, but that's not much of an issue."

"Then it's my draw." Hikari did so. "And I'll play Pot of Greed! That allows me to draw two new cards!" She drew and looked at her hand. 'Little-Winguard COULD attack his Witch, but she'd just let him summon another monster with her special ability, and that'd just help HIM. And then there's Enraged Muka Muka, which will just get more powerful when he draws next turn. Now I could play Panther Warrior, but I'd need to sacrifice a monster, and I need Winguard to defend my life points. Muka Muka's too strong to face head on right now. I need to force him to use more cards from his hand.'

"I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared on the field. "And I'll play Panther Warrior in attack mode." Panther Warrior appeared, growling.

Panther Warrior: 2000/1600

"I could destroy Enraged Muka Muka now, but there's a slim chance that's NOT Eye of Truth facedown. So for now, I'm content to wait and see. And you might just kill both our monsters with an attack. But for now, I'll switch Winguard to defense mode and end my turn." Winguard crouched.

"Okay," said CyberV as he drew. "Hikari, I swear I didn't trick your father out of anything."

Enraged Muka Muka: 2000/1400 + 400/400 2400/1800

"I said you could talk during our duel. I didn't say I'd listen. Now I'll activate my trap card! DUST TORNADO!" Dust Tornado arose, blowing strong winds. "Dust Tornado can destroy any one card in the spell and trap zone, and I choose your facedown." Eye of Truth shattered. "Huh. It WAS Eye of Truth. How disappointing."

"HIKARI! LISTEN TO ME!"

"I said I wasn't going to, you liar. Now make your move or surrender!"

"Fine. I play Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity! Together, they let me draw five new cards as long as I discard two!"

Enraged Muka Muka: 2400/1800 + 400/400 2800/2200

"I'll also summon my good friend Rocket Warrior!" Rocket Warrior appeared, flashing a wink to CyberV.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"Welcome aboard, pal."

"Glad to be here."

Hikari gaped. "...HE TALKS?!"

That was pretty much the reaction from the audience as well.

"Well well, that was an interesting twist," said Ramesus. "It seems that the duel spirits can still converse with him when they're in play. But now it's two trying to convince her of good intentions instead of one. And that means it's time I took a hand in this." Ramesus gazed upon Hikari. "I'll use my shadow power, and turn this into the most subtle of shadow games." The wdjat appeared on his forehead as invisible tendrils of darkness inched out and surrounded her.

"Now, if she loses, her heart will be filled with darkness, making her a perfect candidate. That, combined with the bet CyberV made with her, will ensure that I win, or I win twice."

"That's downright evil."

"Thank you, Poison." Ramesus grinned. If CyberV won, Hikari would be filled with anger, not only making her a perfect addition to the Evil Duelists, but insuring that she wouldn't believe him and take the two cards as well. Thus he would lose his Duel Spirits, as well as most of his shadow power. Thus, not only would the Evil Duelists be beyond challenge, but they would have everything they'd need to stop any would-be heroes from preventing their rise to power.

Watching the duel, Magyk chuckled. "Now THAT'S a magic trick I'd love to learn."

"What's he doing? He should go for an all out attack." Jay was confused.

"He's trying to stretch out the duel, to give himself more time to talk to Hikari." Ashes approved of the strategy.

"She doesn't feel like listening," noted Nat, worried.

"Would you?" asked the Flame Sprite. She belatedly realized Nat couldn't hear her, and thus wouldn't answer. "Ooooh darn it!"

"This isn't going well, is it?" asked Mokuba.

"Not in the slightest," said LazyMan.

"Okay, it's time we went on the offensive, pal! Witch, defense mode!" The Witch crouched. "Rocket Warrior, go to Invincible Mode!" Rocket Warrior nodded and transformed, contracting his arms, closing up his armor, and becoming a rocket. "You see, in Invincible Mode, Rocket Warrior can attack any monster without any harm coming to himself or to my life points. And as a bonus, it reduces the attack monster's power by 500. Now go attack Panther Warrior!"

Rocket Warrior launched into the air and crashed into Panther Warrior, knocking the monster to the ground.

Panther Warrior: 2000/1600 -500 ATK 1500/1600

Rocket Warrior transformed back to his normal state and looked at Hikari, concerned. "Hikari, stop this. We're trying to help you."

"Stop protecting him," said Hikari. "I'll get you back. I promise."

"Maybe, but not this turn," said CyberV. "Enraged Muka Muka, attack Panther Warrior! Rage Burst!" Enraged Muka Muka roared, and Panther Warrior shattered.

CyberV: 6500

Hikari: 6700

"That ends my turn."

Hikari grimaced. That Muka Muka had to go. She drew and smiled. This would do it for sure. "I play the magic card Shield and Sword!" The card appeared face up. "This magic card switches the original attack and defense of each monster on the field, negating Enraged Muka Muka's attack boost and then some!"

Enraged Muka Muka: 2800/2200 - 600/1200

Rocket Warrior: 1300/1500

Witch of the Black Forest: 1200/1100

Little-Winguard: 1800/1400

"Oh, that's not good..." muttered CyberV.

"Oh, it's good all right. NOW, ATTACK ENRAGED MUKA MUKA WITH WING BLADE!" Little-Winguard did as he was told, and Enraged Muka Muka died.

CyberV: 5300

Hikari: 6700

"Now I'll summon Jetroid in attack mode!" Jetroid appeared. He was always one of her biological father's favorites, and she'd use this to deal CyberV a crippling blow.

Jetroid: 1200/1800

"I'll now activate Winguard's special ability, and switch him to defense mode." Winguard crouched. "That ends my turn."

With that, all the monsters returned to normal.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200

Little-Winguard: 1400/1800

'No spells? Then Jetroid must have a special ability. But what?'

"Okay then, I play Monster Reborn! Welcome back Enraged Muka Muka!" Enraged Muka Muka reappeared.

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600

"And I'll add Change of Heart, to steal your Little-Winguard!" Winguard vanished from Hikari's side of the field. "I'll switch him to attack mode so I can do an all out assault." Winguard stood tall. "And don't forget Muka's special ability!"

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600 + 1200/1200 2400/1800

"I haven't," said Hikari coldly.

"All right! MUKA MUKA, RAGE BURST!" Enraged Muka Muka attacked, and Hikari grinned.

"I PLAY MAGIC CYLINDER!" Two tubes appeared on either side of Jetroid. The attack from Enraged Muka Muka entered the first, and came out the second, right back at CyberV, who took the full brunt of the blast and was knocked off his feet to the ground.

"Not good..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

"CV!" exclaimed Ashes

"NO!" Jay couldn't believe it.

"She's got more than just Joey Wheeler's cards in there!" Nat couldn't believe it. Jetroid was one of the more dangerous monsters because of how unassuming it appeared to be. Now, CyberV had fallen into a dangerous trap and was paying the penalty.

"Oh, I can't watch... Well, maybe just a little." Flame Sprite winced.

CyberV: 2900

Hikari: 6700

"You played right into my hands. Jetroid's special ability lets me play trap cards directly from my hand when he's attacked. And I chose Magic Cylinder, which reflected one attack right back at you. Now, I'm just one strong assault away from finishing this duel and claiming what's mine!"

'She might be right! She was trained by the best, and she isn't listening to anything I say! And if I can't convince her of the truth, I'll lose my duel spirits!'

"GET UP! Let's finish this duel!" Hikari glared at him like a woman scorned. She was out for blood, thanks to the additional anger the shadows were channeling into her.

Ramesus grinned. No matter what, there was no way he could lose! No matter what happened, today, evil would win! The end of the Warrior was at hand, and soon nothing would stand in his way...

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT TIME: Dueling Stand-Off! Fight the Darkness Within, Hikari!


	6. The Dueling Standoff!

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: CyberV, a struggling duelist, was given a Rocket Warrior and a Red-Eyes Black Dragon by Joey Wheeler. When he accepted an invitation to the Arcane Academy, he did not know that Joey Wheeler's adopted daughter, Hikari, would be attending as well. Harboring a serious grudge, Hikari's goal has become the recovery of the cards she believes were stolen from her family. In an attempt to make peace with Hikari and to protect her from the machinations of Ramesus, CyberV challenged Hikari to an initiation duel for the Good Duelists, betting his prized cards that he could convince her of his innocence by the time the duel ended. However, Hikari has been armed with a complete knowledge of his deck by Poison, and the duel goes poorly for CyberV as he stalls to try and win her over. To make things even worse, Ramesus has used his shadow powers to darken Hikari's soul, and if she loses, she will become one of his minions, and a terrible weapon for Evil.

* * *

CyberV: 2900

Hikari: 6700

CyberV pulled himself up off the floor. He inwardly cursed that he'd not been more familiar with the individual Vehicroid abilities.

"I said get up. I want this duel over with so I can take what's mine." Hikari glared at CyberV with a look that could kill. One way or another, this fraud was going to pay dearly for messing with her family.

CyberV stood and took stock of the situation. He currently had four monsters on the field: Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode, his trusty Rocket Warrior in attack mode, Enraged Muka Muka, which had just attacked directly into Magic Cylinder, and Hikari's Change of Heart entranced Little-Winguard, also in attack mode. Hikari had Jetroid in attack mode. Neither of them had any facedown cards. He had three cards in his hand, and Hikari had nothing.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600 + 1200/1200 2400/1800

Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200

Little-Winguard: 1400/1800

Jetroid: 1200/1800

"We could attack," said Rocket Warrior. "Winguard or I could easily crush Jetroid, and then the other could attack directly."

"And if I do that, the duel becomes that much shorter." CyberV couldn't risk that. If the duel ended before he could convince her of his sincerity, he'd lose Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon forever, and that would leave Ramesus free to take over the school... or worse.

No, he had to keep stalling, but he COULD take advantage of her empty hand.

"What's he doing?" muttered Strong Man as he and the other unaffiliated students watched from the stands. "He should attack. She's vulnerable."

"I think there's more going on here than we suspect," said Magyk. "I've heard mutterings of shadow games on the campus. There's a chance this could be one, in which case, making a move of any kind could have serious repercussions, extending far beyond a win or a loss."

"Maybe he's tensing up..." wondered Allis. "Like I did."

Tapkar shook his head. "No, he's stalling on purpose. Why?"

A good question, one Mokuba and LazyMan knew the answer to.

"It's not working," said LazyMan. "She needs a harder push."

"It'll work." Mokuba said it, but he wasn't sure he believed it. "Hikari was trained by Yugi. It may take time, but she should recognize the truth when she hears it."

"Time's the one thing we don't have. If he loses his spirits, he loses his shadow powers. And when that happens, nothing will be left to stop the Evil Duelists from annihilating the balance of power."

"He seems to be having trouble deciding on a move," said Greekman. "Pathetic. He has it in his power to seriously damage her. Why isn't he doing it?"

"He has hope." Ramesus grinned. "We'll have to rob him of that."

"Shouldn't be hard," said Sonny. "Between her attitude problem and whatever you just did to her, he doesn't stand a chance."

"Very true," said Poison as he enjoyed the performance. "She'll just get angrier, and more magnificent, with each play, until she's a perfect fit for our team."

"Ummm... Right. Whatever..." Mikey shrugged. Poison seemed to have a thing for the girl. Whatever. He just wanted to see that obnoxious "Warrior" taken down.

Carly grinned. Nothing like seeing a girl take down a guy to make her day.

"Hurry up," said Hikari. "I'd like to finish this duel BEFORE we reach graduation."

"She's so rude..." mutter the Raging Flame Sprite.

"You'd think her father would have taught her manners." Ashes couldn't believe that someone trained by the best would behave like this.

"You've SEEN her father in action, right?" Jay shrugged. "Joey Wheeler's always been a hot head. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Maybe," said Nat. "But something's not right. She should be working out her frustrations by blasting him... Instead, she's just getting angrier."

Although she couldn't see or hear it, Red-Eyes nodded in agreement.

"Whatever he's planning has to be big," said Drift. "Otherwise, she can come back and crush him."

"You need to make your move," said Mouse. "Stalling like this isn't an option."

CyberV nodded. "Fine. You want a move? HERE'S A MOVE TO REMEMBER!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 6: The Dueling Standoff! Defeat the Darkness Within, Hikari!

Written by Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

CyberV placed a card into his magic zone. "I play another Last Will! Now, like before, I lose a monster this turn, I get a new monster! And I'm about to lose THREE."

"WHAT?!"

"It'll end my ability to attack you this turn," he said with a grim smile, "but it's worth it! I sacrifice Enraged Muka Muka, Witch of the Black Forest, and your Little-Winguard!"

All three monsters shattered, along with Change of Heart. "And now I summon one of my strongest monsters! GILFORD THE LIGHTNING, TAKE A BOW!" The master swordsman arose, lightning flashing as he brandished his sword.

Gilford the Lightning: 2800/1400

"And now Last Will activates, and I summon another Rocket Warrior in defense mode!" A second Rocket Warrior appeared, crouching, his shield in front of him. Rocket Warrior seemed to transfer his consciousness to this copy, because it turned it's head to look at him.

Rocket Warrior 2: 1500/1300

"You'd better have a plan..."

"I do."

"You should have attacked me," said Hikari. "You'll regret not doing that."

"I don't need to. With no cards in your hand, you have no way to protect Jetroid from Gilford the Lightning's special ability!"

Hikari's eyes widened. "Of course! You sacrificed three monsters instead of two. That means any monster on my side of the field is destroyed." Jetroid shattered.

"Exactly. Of course, you already knew that. You use your father's deck, and he has one, too. Which means so do you, somewhere in that deck."

'Brag while you can. I know your entire deck, pal, and I'll use that knowledge to crush you.' She thought of Poison and the list he'd given her. Not tactics she would usually employ, but this was a special circumstance.

"In any case, I'll end my turn for now."

Hikari nodded. "About time." She reached for her deck. 'Heart of the cards... Help me!' She drew and looked at her card. "Oh yeah, just what I needed!" She inserted the card into her magic zone. "You want to talk? Fine. Talk all you want, but you'll do it without any muscle to back you up! SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!" Light swords erupted all around CyberV and his monsters.

"Good card," said CyberV. "And I appreciate the fact that I've got three turns more to talk to you now."

"Yeah, three turns where you can't attack me, buying time for me to build up my defenses and mount a counter attack!"

"Three turns that start now, since you can't make any other moves." CyberV drew. "I'll place my first Rocket Warrior in defense mode." The first Rocket Warrior crouched. "And I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared.

'I'll never beat him with just the Swords. I need a monster! Any monster!' Hikari drew. "And I got just what I needed! GYROID! I summon you in defense mode!" The helicopter Vehicroid appeared on the field.

Gyroid: 1000/1000

"And I know he has a special ability," said CyberV. "If I recall, it takes two attacks to destroy him." He shrugged. "Geez, you go from 'quit stalling' to 'it's my party and I'll stall if I want to'."

Nat sweatdropped. "Oh, he did NOT just mock 60's music."

"You prefer another count off?" asked Jay.

"...Mock away..."

"You know, it's funny. The duel began at noon, and now here we are, facing each other down, wondering who's gonna make the big move. It's like a western showdown."

"Then let's see what move YOU can make," said Hikari. "If you can."

CyberV drew. 'No. I need both of these for later. If she's planning what I suspect, keeping these in hand for now is my only smart move.'

He looked up. "I pass."

Hikari drew.

"But I WILL activate my facedown card!" CyberV grinned as Jar of Greed appeared. "Ugly, isn't it? Jar of Greed lets me draw one new card." He drew. "Back to you."

Hikari growled. "SHUT UP!"

"Such manners. Your father would be very disappointed in you, young lady!" CyberV mock-admonished her with an atrocious "mom" voice.

"You know NOTHING about my father!"

"I know he's one of the greatest duelists the world has ever seen. I know he's put himself on the line to save the world countless times. I know he's an honorable man and my idol."

"I consider that last one an INSULT." She placed her card into the magic zone. "Like you did before, I'll play Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three cards as long as I send two to the graveyard." She drew and looked at her hand.

'GILFORD' In her hand was the same monster that menaced her now. But with only one monster on her field, she couldn't summon it. Frustrated, she discarded it and a trap card. She placed the last card into her Disk. "I play Scapegoat!" Four Scapegoats appeared, taking up her monster zones. "They buy me four extra attacks."

'Which means that if I WANT to beat her, it'll take six attacks just to break through her defenses! Wow... That gives her a lot of time to set up whatever she's planning. Which means, like it or not, I need to step things up a notch once the Swords are toast.'

"You'll need them," said CyberV.

"Tough talk," said Hikari. "From a weakling."

He drew. "I'll switch a Rocket Warrior to attack mode, and that's all." The first Rocket Warrior returned to attack mode. "Of course, that also means the Swords are finished." Right on cue, the Swords of Revealing Light faded away.

"I don't need them anymore," said Hikari as she drew. She suppressed a smile. 'THIS is the first step to wiping you out.' She placed it into her magic zone facedown. A card appeared on the field. "One card facedown."

CyberV nodded. And drew. 'All right. Another piece of my plan's in place. But I don't have all of them yet.' "Fine. And now, since I can't seem to break through the walls of your heart, I'll settle for tearing down some of the walls to your defense! Rocket Warrior, attack a Scapegoat with Rocket Slash!" Rocket Warrior blazed forward, slicing through the first Scapegoat.

"And now, Gilford, it's your turn! Attack with Justice Slash!" Gilford raised his sword and charged it with lightning. Swinging his massive arm, he cut down another Scapegoat.

"As long as she can keep her defenses strong," said Strong Man, "she stands a chance of making a serious comeback."

"Maybe," said Tapkar, "But it won't be easy. She's surviving by top decking alone right now. It's dangerous."

"Not for her," said Magyk. "She has the heart of the cards to draw upon for help."

"The what?" Allis didn't understand.

"The Heart of the Cards." Magyk's voice took on almost a reverent tone. "His entire dueling career, Yugi Mutou has spoken about how cards choose their users, and how, if someone cares enough about a card, it becomes infused with a life all it's own, and will come when it's user needs it the most. Yugi Mutou used this apparent strategy countless times over the years, overcoming impossible odds to win the unwinnable. Hikari, having been training by Yugi, must have this as well, and she's using it to keep herself in the game while she builds up for a massive assault. It's really quite impressive."

"If that's true," said Tapkar, "CyberV's in real trouble."

"She's holding out impressively," said Greekman. "Although, I am sad to see good Scapegoats go to waste like that."

"...Did you just make an ethnic joke about your own people?" Sonny raised an eyebrow.

"...Oh no... That obnoxious twit down there RUBS OFF."

"Yes, he does have a way of getting under the skin," mused Ramesus as he tightened the grip of his shadow power over Hikari. He could feel her anger and mistrust. They were exquisite.

Poison watched Hikari, her every move calculated, precise... The way she got exactly what she needed each turn was astonishing. 'Yes, she would make an excellent assistant. And nothing grabs a girl's attention like the lure of the mysterious.'

Carly looked at Poison, amused. "For pity's sake, just ask her out already."

Poison dropped out of a forming fantasy where Hikari was wearing an outfit not unlike Zatanna's, and blushed. "Errr... I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right." Carly scoffed. "Just like you don't know about the card list you gave to her last night."

"Card list?" Ramesus turned slowly and deliberately to gaze upon Poison, who seemed to shrink into his seat. "WHAT card list?"

"Eheh... I... sorta... copied CyberV's deck down?"

Ramesus glared at him. "And you were going to tell me WHEN, exactly?"

"...Right now?" The meekness in his voice would have been amusing under other circumstances.

"Oh, he is SO dead..." muttered Dark Shroud.

"Poison," said Ramesus in a calm voice that radiated suppressed rage, "You made a plan without consulting me. I can't have my followers running around causing chaos without me in control of it. It simply isn't done." He shrugged, backing off. "Then again, that just makes it even easier to corrupt her heart and soul. I suppose I should congratulate you." The rage returned. "But instead, I'll WARN you to tread lightly. Act without authorization again, and YOU'LL be the one facing me in a shadow game. Got it?"

"yessir."

"I'm so glad we had this little chat." Ramesus returned his attention to the duel. Poison breathed a nervous sigh of relief.

Hikari drew. 'POWER BOND! It doesn't do me any good right now, but if I can get the right monster card in the next two turns, I can take this liar down hard!'

"I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared. "Make your move."

"I will." CyberV drew. 'Perfect! Next turn, my plan can begin.' He looked up. "Time to finish those Scapegoats. Go, guys! Make them into mutton!" Rocket Warrior, apparently possessing the first one again, charged forth with a good natured "BANZAI!!!", slashing the third Scapegoat, even as Gilford demolished the final one.

"One more turn, and only your facedown magic will be left," warned CyberV. "And I'll place one card facedown on the field as insurance." A card appeared.

Hikari drew. "Insurance? INSURANCE? If you played me seriously, this duel might have been over by now! But instead, you keep wanting to blather on with your lies."

"I don't lie, any more than you do, anyway. So, when did Poison give you my deck list?"

Hikari's eyes went wide. "WHAT?!"

Poison and Ramesus shot up.

"He KNEW?" Poison was astonished.

"No way..." muttered Drift.

"But... How..."

"It's elementary, my dear Wheeler," said CyberV. "Two nights ago, I was abduced and tied up in a warehouse. While I managed to emerge virtually unscathed, I noted that my Rocket Warrior deck had been put into my holder upside down, when it's always placed in right side up. That told me that someone had peeked at my deck. Since Jimbo doesn't have two brain cells to rub together, he wouldn't reason that there was a chance I'd escape, and thus no reason for a backup plan.

"Poison, however, has plenty of intelligence. Enough to rig detonators to life point counters, which is, at best, a tricky operation. I wouldn't put it past him to have reasoned a slim chance for my survival and, as a backup scheme, copying down my deck's contents to use at a later date, probably during a shadow game. However, he made the mistake of not returning my deck the way he found it. Sloppy, especially for a self-styled magician."

Poison slunk back in his seat again. Oh, this was bad. SO bad...

"Then there's you. Supposedly without any knowledge of my strategies, you knew the exact counter to use to cripple my life point manipulation strategy. True, you were there for my duel with Mouse, but you arrived as it ended, and couldn't have known it was my opening gambit. By the same token, NO ONE knew about my deck shuffle strategy, and yet you had the perfect defense ready to counter Giant Rat's special effect, keeping me from bringing out Enraged Muka Muka, one of my most powerful creatures. Individually, each is possible. Together? Unlikely.

"Finally, I can't help but notice how one particular member of Ramesus' group up there in the stands has been eyeing you like a piece of beef. Romantic inclinations are hard to miss when they're written all over someone's body language. Again, sloppy behavior for a magician. Deductive reasoning tells me that sometime after you received your invitation to an initiation duel, likely last night, Poison contacted you and gave you the list, in hopes you'd either show interest in him, the Evil Duelists, or both."

Poison sunk out of his seat, embarrassed beyond belief. "This isn't happening... This isn't happening..."

"It's happening," said Mikey.

"He just OWNED you," muttered Sonny.

"And then there's how Ramesus has been turning this into a shadow game."

"WHAT?!" LazyMan shot up from his seat.

"OH NO!" exclaimed Mokuba.

"A shadow game?!" Jay couldn't help but remember the warehouse.

"Tres bad," said the Flame Sprite.

"You said it..." muttered Ashes.

"Thought something was off," muttered Nat.

"He's good. He's very, very good..." Ramesus chuckled.

"He's smarter than he let on," muttered Greekman. "A lot smarter."

"No..." Hikari had heard tales of shadow games nearly her entire life. She knew of Pegasus, Marik and his Yami, Bakura, Dartz... How those that lost shadow games paid a terrible price. But how was this a shadow game?

"Hikari, I know this is a shadow game because, no matter how weak the influence, I can feel the same dark energies I myself tapped into to escape the warehouse fire. Ramesus is the only one here on campus with the ability to use such delicate control. He's manipulating you to make you angrier, likely to help nudge you along the path to darkness. You need to step away from that path immediately, before it consumes you utterly."

Shaking, Hikari reached into her pocket and pulled out the list.

"I can free you from this, Hikari, but you need to trust me, if only about this. You need to destroy that piece of paper. It represents the darkness within your soul. The pain and the hurt your past experiences have given you. The behavior you've displayed here is so far beneath the standards your father would have set that he'd be ashamed. But you can beat it. Just tear it up, and I can do the rest."

Slowly, the wdjat appeared on CyberV's forehead, and Hikari gasped. Her opponent wasn't some scam artist... He really was the destined owner of an Item. And even if that was somehow false, he was still right about one thing.

"THIS LIST HAS TO GO!" With a burst of inner strength, Hikari tore the sheet in two, and then again and again, until it was confetti littering the arena floor.

"NO!" exclaimed Ramesus. "He's getting through to her!"

"...Does this mean I don't get an assistant?" asked Poison from behind the seats.

Hikari dropped to her knees, emotionally spent. CyberV would have offered her a hand, but duelists were not allowed to touch during a match.

"Your father would be PROUD, Hikari," he said. "You've overcome the darkness consuming you, and now, I shall make certain that darkness is inflicted upon you no more this day! RAMESUS, TAKE THIS!" The Wdjat flared up, and the shadow tendrils that had been attached to Hikari withered and died, sending a psychic backlash to Ramesus that stunned him and knocked him back into his seat.

"He's... stronger than I thought." Ramesus rubbed his head, feeling a migraine coming on. "He may have found a way out of his impossible situation."

The Evil Duelists watched the continuing duel carefully. What happened next would determine everything.

"Amazing," said LazyMan as he sat back down. "He's gotten her back from the brink."

"But he's not out of the woods yet," said Mokuba. "He'd better keep going while he can."

"Now," said CyberV, "What say we return to the duel? It's your move." He bowed respectfully to Hikari. "I look forward to finishing our honorable match."

"Same... here..." said Hikari, not quite believing that she was saying it. She drew. "I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared.

"My draw then." He looked at his hand approvingly. "Finish her defenses, monsters!"

Gilford moved first, slashing at Gyroid.

"GYROID!" yelled Hikari. "PROPELLER SHIELD NOW!" Gyroid's blades spun, blocking Gilford's attack but becoming bent by the effort. That left the defensive monster wide open for Rocket Warrior, who blasted in and struck with his Rocket Slash, shattering the copter completely.

"That ends my turn."

"And that means it's time I went on the offensive!" said Hikari. "REVEAL GRAVEROBBER!" Graverobber appeared, a grinning thief. "At a cost of 2000 life points, I can take one card from your graveyard and use it as my own!"

CyberV: 2900

Hikari: 4700

"And I choose Change of Heart!" Change of Heart rose up, and Gilford the Lightning moved to face CyberV. "Gilford, destroy his attack mode Rocket Warrior!" Gilford did as he was told, slicing through the Rocket Warrior, which erupted in smoke as it vanished.

"Wow," muttered Rocket Warrior as the persona transferred to the defense one. "Glad that wasn't me... Wait... THAT WAS ME!" He turned to Hikari, anime-crying. "I thought you cared about me!"

"Sometimes you hurt the ones you love."

CyberV: 1600

Hikari: 4700

"Now I reveal Monster Reborn!" Another facedown arose, and vanished. "I bring Gilford the Lightning from my Graveyard to the field!" Lightning struck as Gilford the Lightning appeared, a perfect twin to CyberV's own.

Gilford the Lightning 2: 2800/1400

"And I think that's enough for now." Her turn ended, the first Gilford returned to CyberV's field.

'They're evenly matched,' thought CyberV. 'I could have Rocket Warrior go to attack mode and weaken him, but that would leave my Warrior vulnerable to whatever she has planned. And my life points are too low to risk that. No, time to implement my strategy.'

"I'll place two cards facedown," said CyberV. "And play Emergency Provisions!" Emergency Provisions appeared. "This card lets me gain 1000 life points for every spell or trap I sacrifice, and I have three facedowns!" All vanished, along with Provisions.

CyberV: 4600

Hikari: 4700

"That evens things up nicely."

"But not for long," said Hikari as she drew. "And I got just what I wanted. REVEAL POWER BOND!" Power Bond rose up. "Now pay attention, because this is where it gets good. Power Bond is like a Polymerization for Machines, except it doubles their attack points. Now watch as Gilford unites with the UFOroid in my hand to create the UFOroid Fighter!" UFOroid appeared and transformed into a flying platform, which her Gilford leapt onto.

UFOroid Fighter: UfoRoid (1200/1200 + Gilford 2800/1400 X 2 8000/0

"Oh, that's not good," muttered CyberV.

"Oh, it is. Because it means I've won! UFOROID FIGHTER, DESTROY GILFORD THE LIGHTNING WITH BOLTS FROM THE STARS!" UFOroid Fighter charged up and fired power bolts, shattering Gilford and filling the arena with smoke.

"Is it over?" asked Allis?

"It has to be," said Magyk. "But he came so close..."

"He was too soft on her earlier," said Strongman. "He's paying for that now."

"Aw man..." muttered Jay.

"It's done," said Nat.

"Maybe," said Mokuba, grinning, "And maybe not."

The smoke cleared, and the life points... had not changed.

"No way... HOW?!" Hikari couldn't believe it. "You should be at zero!"

"Normally, yes," said CyberV. "However, while I'm an honest duelist, I'm not above borrowing the moves of my betters. In this case... Yugi Mutou." CyberV held up a card and turned it around for Hikari to see. "Recognize it? You should."

Hikari looked, and was flabbergasted. "KURIBOH?! But you didn't have that in your deck!"

"True, I didn't... Not until this morning, when I borrowed one from Mokuba. You see, since I knew my deck's contents were compromised, I was forced to construct a sidedeck to protect me in case you had counters prepared to leave me defenseless. In this case, a Kuriboh, whose special effect saves my life points from battle damage by discarding it." He placed it in the graveyard. "And now, there's Power Bond's special effect to consider. You take damage equal to the original attack of the monster it was used to summon. In this case..."

Hikari's deck sparked as her life points took a massive hit.

CyberV: 4600

Hikari: 700

"My turn." said CyberV. "One card facedown, and a monster facedown as well. And, just because he's tired of crouching, I'll switch Rocket Warrior to attack mode."

"About time," complained Rocket Warrior. "I was getting sore!" He stood up, and looked at the supercharged UFOroid Fighter. "Then again..."

"You're bating me." said Hikari. "If you've altered your deck, those two cards could be anything. You could even have another Kuriboh in your hand."

CyberV shrugged. "One way to find out."

"Yeah, there is. All or nothing." Hikari drew. "And I'll play Graceful Dice!" A sprite holding a die appeared. "Graceful Dice will increase my monster's attack points by one hundred for whatever number comes up. ROLL!" The die dropped and began rolling on the arena floor, until it landed... on a six.

"YES! That makes up for Skull Dice being a one! Now UFOroid Fighter gains 600 attack points!"

UFOroid Fighter: 8000 + 600 8600

"Now, my father ran a gamble deck, and I'll bet anything you can't stop what I'm about to do! I play my final card, Limiter Removal!" The card appeared. "This doubles the attack of all machine monsters on my field for one turn, but destroys them at the end. So if this attack goes through, I win. If it doesn't, I lose."

UFOroid Fighter: 8600x2 17200/0

The gasps from the audience were deafening. A monster with enough attack points to annihilate a GOD CARD?!

"Now THAT'S impressive," said CyberV.

"I'm betting everything on this move," said Hikari. "BUT I BELIEVE IN MY DECK AND MY TRAINING! GO UFOROID FIGHTER! DESTROY ROCKET WARRIOR!" UFOroid Fighter fired, a deafening, blinding blast that shook the arena itself.

It wouldn't be enough.

"REVEAL TRANSCENDENT WINGS!" CyberV's facedown magic card raised as his facedown monster appeared... Winged Kuriboh.

Winged Kuriboh: 300/200

The reactions were varied, most not understanding what was going on.

'THAT'S THE CARD YUGI GAVE AWAY LAST WEEK!' Hikari was stunned.

"Sorry, Hikari, but I didn't just borrow from Yugi for this duel. I also borrowed from a kid named Jaden. I heard from Mokuba about an astonishing move where a Winged Kuriboh was evolved using an obscure rare card called Transcendent Wings. I send two cards to the graveyard..." He emptied his hand, "And the little guy becomes Winged Kuriboh LV10!" Light shone as the attack from UFOroid Fighter was blocked.

Winged Kuriboh LV10: 300/200

"Oh no..." Hikari knew it was over now. She didn't know how, but she knew she'd gambled and lost.

"Winged Kuriboh LV10 has a special ability. He sacrifices himself to destroy face up monsters on the opponent's field, just like Mirror Force... BUT, he removes from the opponents life points the original attack of those monsters, meaning you lose 4000 more life points! That's more than enough effect damage to bring you..."

Winged Kuriboh LV10 vanished, reflecting the attack to shatter UFOroid Fighter.

CyberV: 4600

Hikari: 0

"To zero."

Rocket Warrior breathed a sigh of relief and faded out, becoming translucent as he went from hologram back to spirit. "DON'T EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!!!" he yelled suddenly.

"Sorry..." CyberV laughed. Still, he didn't feel like celebrating his first official victory. There was one more task at hand. He had to be sure.

Hikari looked down at her Disk, at her deck. Today, her actions had disgraced her family and her mentors. "I'm a failure."

"No," said CyberV. "You overcame the darkness in your heart, and you're better person for it. We all face these trials, and you came through them like a true champion today. Here." He held out his Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "You've earned them."

Hikari looked at the cards in his hand, and felt a flood of memories.

Her fathers, the long hours of practice, the tournaments... And one specific moment...

* * *

It had been years ago, early in her training and new life.

"What is the Heart of the Cards?" she asked.

"It's simple," said Yugi. "Sometimes, when you build a deck, certain cards call out to you. You're never sure why, but it becomes your favorite." He shuffled his deck, and casually pulled out his Dark Magician. "Dark Magician and I are bonded, inseparable. We protect each other. The same is true for all the cards in my deck. Dark Magician Girl. Kuriboh. Slifer, Ra, Obelisk..." As he pulled out cards, she could see that each was the one named. "I know my deck like I know my arm. I trust in it, and it never fails me. It holds my hopes, my dreams, my very soul. The cards have taken on those aspects of me, making them extensions of my very will. That is the Heart of the Cards, Hikari. The belief in yourself and your deck. The belief that there is always a way to win."

"Wow..."

"Sometimes, a card chooses it's owner. That's why a duelist never does as well with a deck that isn't their own. Without their heart and soul within it, the cards are meaningless. Remember that, Hikari. It will serve you well."

Her memories flashed forward, to just over a week prior.

She was looking through Yugi's deck, and noticed one card missing. "What happened to Winged Kuriboh?"

"He felt it was time to move on."

"He what?"

"I was in the park, and I ran into a young duelist on his way to Duel Academy. I just... had a feeling that Winged Kuriboh was meant for him."

"But you loved that card."

"Yes, but to keep it when it wanted to go would have been selfish and a disservice. Cards choose their masters, Hikari. That's the way of the Heart of the Cards."

* * *

She now looked at the cards she had sworn to recover, her's for the taking.

"No." She felt a tremendous weight being lifted from her shoulders. "No, they chose you. I understand that now. I was being foolish and petty. I didn't realize they were ready to move on."

"It's okay," said CyberV. "I know where you're coming from. Well, if you won't take them, will you at least take this?" He held up another card quite familiar to Hikari.

"Flame Swordsman..." Her father's signature warrior card, the monster most precious to him.

CyberV glanced at Rocket Warrior. "A... friend told me you didn't have one. I thought that you should. That way, you can truly have your father with you all the time."

Hikari fought back tears. "I... I don't know what to say..."

"That's all right. Hikari? You've shown purity of heart and tremendous courage today. You may have lost the duel, but you pass the test. Welcome to the Good Duelists."

Hikari merely nodded, letting herself cry a little. CyberV stepped back as the Good Duelists rushed to welcome her aboard. Nat, Ashes, and Jay, however, stopped by his side.

"You had this planned from the start, didn't you?" Nat was impressed.

"Yes. It was mainly Rocket Warrior's idea, though. Mokuba's the real hero... Without him, I'd've never been prepared to face down UFOroid Fighter."

They turned to see Mokuba, but the younger Kaiba Brother was already gone.

"Oh well... I'd say we have a lot to celebrate," said Ashes. "Your first victory, and our new teammate!"

"Sounds like we're partying tonight," said Jay.

"PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!" chanted the Flame Sprite.

Rocket Warrior appeared to join in the chant. "PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!" Red-Eyes just gave a dragon's sigh. There was no living with those two.

"Come on," said Ramesus as he stood up. "There's nothing more to see here." He strode out of the arena, glancing at the humiliated Poison. "And get off the floor. It's undignified!"

"I'll kill him..." muttered Poison. "I'll kill him, and then I'll win her heart... Oh yes, that's what I'll do..." He staggered to his feet, and Carly grabbed his collar, dragging him along.

"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

"ACK!"

"I guess this plan's a bust," said Greekman.

"Not entirely..." said Ramesus as, out of the corner of his eye, Ryu Kokki appeared, laughing gleefully in the shadows...

* * *

"Nice duel!" said Tapkar. "Never seen anything like it."

"I'm just getting started," said CyberV.

"Don't get too comfortable," warned Magyk. "I use some of Yugi's cards too, and they'll be ready for you."

"We'll see," said CyberV.

Strong Man said nothing. Allis faded into the crowd. Drift was too busy recovering to say anything either, just relieved that no one was leaving soulless. LazyMan just nodded approvingly with Mouse at his side. Mission Accomplished.

"Hey..." muttered Jay. "I just realized... Where's Ikke? He should be here!"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm missing the whole duel..." complained Jimbo once again.

"Oh shut up," muttered Ikke. "I have to BABYSIT YOU, so I'm missing it too!" He muttered under his breath. It wasn't a good day... Not at all...

* * *

Mokuba breathed a sigh of relief as he headed to his office. He sat at his computer and began to type. They survived today, but tomorrow?

It was time to call on an old friend...

Next Time: Poison VS. Magyk! The Spectacular Spellcaster Duel!


	7. The Spectacular Spellcaster Duel!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Poison, the Spellcaster expert for the Evil Duelists, took part in setting up a dangerous Shadow Game. During these events, he copied down CyberV's second deck. He soon found himself infatuated with Hikari Wheeler and gave her that list to help her beat CyberV. However, during the course of their duel, CyberV revealed that he'd known what Poison did all along, and revealed Poison's crush at the same time, publically humiliating him. Meanwhile, the new members of Good met Magyk, an unaffiliated spellcaster duelist reputed to be the best on campus. But what none of them knew was Poison's vow to get even for his humiliation...

* * *

Some people, when their alarm went off in the morning, would wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Some would wake up muttering, cursing the alarm and the world.

Poison preferred to smash his with a rock. No one in the Evil Duelists knew where he kept that rock, but every time he was in a foul mood, they could count on it appearing out of nowhere and crushing the offending timepiece. By the same token, they also knew that within three minutes, the clock would look like nothing had happened to it.

They couldn't explain it. Poison wanted it that way.

As he had made his custom in the nine days since that disastrous duel, he was in a particularly foul mood. Ramesus had him on a short leash, he was mocked by his fellow students... He was disgraced.

And it was all that upstart newcomer's fault. His copying of the deck had been a master stroke... He blamed only himself for his slip in replacing the deck upside down, but he could never forgive CyberV for what he had done.

He closed his eyes and remembered that disastrous moment clearly.

_"It's elementary, my dear Wheeler," said CyberV. "Two nights ago, I was abduced and tied up in a warehouse. While I managed to emerge virtually unscathed, I noted that my Rocket Warrior deck had been put into my holder upside down, when it's always placed in right side up. That told me that someone had peeked at my deck. Since Jimbo doesn't have two brain cells to rub together, he wouldn't reason that there was a chance I'd escape, and thus no reason for a backup plan._

_"Poison, however, has plenty of intelligence. Enough to rig detonators to life point counters, which is, at best, a tricky operation. I wouldn't put it past him to have reasoned a slim chance for my survival and, as a backup scheme, copying down my deck's contents to use at a later date, probably during a shadow game. However, he made the mistake of not returning my deck the way he found it. Sloppy, especially for a self-styled magician."_

_Poison slunk back in his seat again. Oh, this was bad. SO bad..._

_"Then there's you. Supposedly without any knowledge of my strategies, you knew the exact counter to use to cripple my life point manipulation strategy. True, you were there for my duel with Mouse, but you arrived as it ended, and couldn't have known it was my opening gambit. By the same token, NO ONE knew about my deck shuffle strategy, and yet you had the perfect defense ready to counter Giant Rat's special effect, keeping me from bringing out Enraged Muka Muka, one of my most powerful creatures. Individually, each is possible. Together? Unlikely._

_"Finally, I can't help but notice how one particular member of Ramesus' group up there in the stands has been eyeing you like a piece of beef. Romantic inclinations are hard to miss when they're written all over someone's body language. Again, sloppy behavior for a magician. Deductive reasoning tells me that sometime after you received your invitation to an initiation duel, likely last night, Poison contacted you and gave you the list, in hopes you'd either show interest in him, the Evil Duelists, or both."_

_Poison sunk out of his seat, embarrassed beyond belief. "This isn't happening... This isn't happening..."_

Poison punched the wall. He would make CyberV regret that they'd ever crossed paths. In one smooth move, the newcomer had ruined any chance of winning Hikari and destroyed his standing among the student body.

But before he made the so-called Warrior of the Balance pay, he first needed to bolster his sagging reputation. And there was only one way to see to that. He thought of the other spellcasting expert on the campus. And he grinned maliciously.

"Magyk, today I put on a special performance... Just for you..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 7: Poison VS. Magyk! The Spectacular Spellcaster Duel!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Necrofear, and Kasil

* * *

After a long week of learning the art of dueling and staving off the forces of darkness, one thought dominates the mind of any young duelist.

"PARRRRRRTYYYY!!!!" Ashes cheered. It was Saturday, and that meant no classes, no long boring lectures, no dueling unless she felt like it... In other words, as close to paradise as she could imagine. Today was the day she could ditch her school uniform, dress like a real person, and hit the town like any self respecting teenager should.

Close behind, Hikari, wearing sunglasses and a somewhat stylized take on her father's old look, sported a grin that, two weeks ago, anyone here would have thought alien to her face. She'd been a member of the Good Duelists for nine days, and she was just now getting used to all of it.

"You said it!" she said in agreement. "We're young. We're beautiful. And we've got the entire city to explore!"

Nat just shrugged, wearing nothing special in particular. She liked the weekends as much as anyone, but she'd rather be caught dead than hopping around like an over-sugared bunny. She didn't seem to realize that despite her seeming best efforts, she was still stunning. Certainly, several of the male students noticed this trio.

"DEFINITELY a great crop of freshmen..." muttered one sophomore as he struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. His friend wasn't nearly as lucky, leaning out so far for a better look that he fell over and didn't even realize it.

"It's official," muttered the Flame Sprite to Ashes. "You're knockouts!"

"Today," said Ashes, "I don't wanna hear one word about dueling, evil forces, Millennium Items..."

"Or obnoxious pop culture fanatics?" suggested Nat sanguinely.

"BINGO!" said Hikari and Ashes simultaneously. They laughed. CV was okay, but a girl needed a break from the routine once in a while.

"And YOU," said Ashes to a hesitant Allis as she peeked out of the door, "have GOT to start relaxing. Smile for once! Come on!"

Almost cringing, Allis stepped into the doorway, wearing about as dumpy an outfit as one could ever imagine on a girl.

"First order of business," suggested Hikari, "Fashion makeover." She ran over to Allis, wrapped her arm around the hesitant girl, and practically dragged her along with them. "We are gonna turn you from a wallflower to a vixen, even if it kills us!"

"I... I should probably stay," said Allis. "I have homework and-"

"Pffft," said Hikari. "Girls just gotta have fun, and it's time you looked the part!"

"But-"

"No buts. Move."

Sitting under a tree, strumming a guitar, Jay watched them and chuckled. "She's DOOMED..."

"Got that right," said CyberV as he walked up. "Those three are like a force of nature."

"You would know..." said Jay. "Any idea how they're even getting around town? It's way too big to walk."

"Actually, I'll be taking them," said Mouse as she came up to them.

"Chaperone?" asked CyberV.

"No. It might surprise you, but I DO like to let my hair down once in a while."

"Really?" CyberV was intrigued. "Wow. It's almost like you have a personality."

The resulting crack to his skull was audible half a block away. Mouse rubbed her hand. "Idiot."

CV laid there on the ground, dazed. "Oh lady of Spain, I adore you..."

"Huh. I think you made a crater this time," noted Jay before returning to his music.

"Man, you've GOTTA shut up around her..." Rocket Warrior rubbed his eyes. Red-Eyes just shook his head in disbelief.

Mouse walked off, intent on forgetting a certain dueling bozo for a day.

Slowly, CV pulled himself up and sat next to Jay, rubbing his head and hoping it wouldn't swell up.

"You've gotta stop pushing her buttons like that. She's gonna scramble your brain one of these days."

"Nah. I've got a pretty thick skull."

Jay choked down a guffaw.

"It's sad, really..." sighed Rocket Warrior, embarrassed to be around him right now.

* * *

Magyk had awakened with a bad feeling. He'd had similar experiences since he'd watched Hikari and CyberV duel. He kept thinking about how CyberV had said it was a shadow game. He fancied himself a magician, but in the face of true magic? He knew deep down he was a pale impersonation. He knew nothing of true sorcery, despite his vast experience with the spellcasters of Duel Monsters.

He thought back, remembering how, when he had first arrived, he had been invited to the Good Duelists. He'd turned them down, thinking that it wasn't for real, that the only magic in the world were cards or trickery. He knew at dueling with magic, few could reach his level, but there were always up and comers willing to try for the title of Master of Magicians. Poison was one of those. Ever since they'd crossed paths, they'd pushed each other to improve, and he had to admit, Poison's special effects were an effective distraction... But ultimately, whenever they dueled, it just seemed like Poison didn't want it enough.

Thinking back to that duel, Magyk had a feeling that wasn't the case any longer. There was something ominous in the air today, and he didn't like it. Normally he slept in on the weekends, but he doubted he would get any rest today.

He was proven right as he opened his door to see Poison standing there, all attitude.

"What now?"

"The usual place. One hour. Bring your title and your dignity, because I want them BAD."

"Again? I'm a bit tired of wiping the floor with you-" started Magyk as Poison suddenly vanished in a burst of light and smoke.

"One hour. Bring some friends if you like..." He couldn't tell where the voice came from. Poison always did go for the theatrics when he was in a foul mood.

"I think I will..." muttered Magyk. "After all, any magic show should have an audience."

* * *

"WAAAAAAAHOOOO!!!!!" Hikari and Ashes cheered as they enjoyed the breeze in their hair. Mouse's convertible went from 0 to WOAH in three seconds flat, and they were enjoying every moment of it. Mouse was grinning from ear to ear behind the wheel, thrilled to get a chance to cut loose for once. Nat just sat there, arms crossed, watching the world go by when she wasn't watching Allis hold onto the seat with a death grip out of sheer terror.

"So, where to, ladies?" asked Mouse. "The mall?"

"The mall."

"The mall."

"Whatever."

"I think I'm gonna hurl..."

"The mall it is, and YOU'D better hold that in," said Mouse as she glanced at Allis. "I just had this detailed!"

* * *

"No." Ashes shook her head as Hikari modeled an outfit that seemed like a bizarre aviator getup.

"Who'd WEAR this line, anyway?" muttered Hikari.

"I would," said Ashes as she looked at the flame patterned jacket in her arms. "Hey, it comes with goggles!"

Mouse laughed as she checked out a long-skirted cowgirl's outfit.

Sitting to the side, Allis watched them have their fun. Nat sat next to her.

"Not really feeling like having a good time, are you?"

"No..."

"I know how you feel," said Nat. "You feel like an outsider, like you just don't belong."

"But you DO belong," said Allis with more force than she'd intended. "Me? I grew up in a big family... I'm the youngest kid, the baby of the family... My parents were so worn out from my brothers and sisters that they almost never had time for me. My oldest brother's a race car driver, my sister Serena became part of a rock band... I just got the short end of the stick. I didn't stand out or anything..."

"So you turned to dueling to make your mark." Nat had heard this story before. When someone found themselves utterly overshadowed by the world, they often found idols to emulate, and few roads to glory had idols as impressive as Duel Monsters.

"Yeah... Except... I... I just get flustered and I can't fight this shyness..."

"That'll come in time," said Nat. "I'll help you with that, if you'd like. I mean, you were invited to the Good initiation for a reason."

"And I messed up. I lost."

"Hikari lost too, but she made it. And you know why?"

"...No..."

"She got in because she showed what she was made of. As long as you cringe all the time and hide from the world, you'll never step out of the shadow of your siblings. You need to rise to challenges, not stand down."

"I... I'm not sure I can..."

"I'm sure. And we'll all be there for you when you're ready to try again. Right?" Nat looked up to see that the others were paying her and Allis utterly no mind at all. "HEY! I'M TALKING HERE!"

Allis sweatdropped.

* * *

"And that's the whole story," said Magyk as he, CyberV and Jay walked towards the school's auditorium. "This is the third time he's challenged me for the title now. Honestly, I'm a little sick of it. He always makes it a theatrical performance, and I just want to duel normally."

"Normal isn't a word I associate with the Evil Duelists," muttered Jay.

"Theatrical? THAT fits..." CyberV shuddered, remembering the bomb blast that nearly killed Ashes. "So, you duel in the auditorium after he sets it up for pyrotechnics and other effects?"

"Pretty much. I once sold tickets. No one showed. I guess a good magic show isn't appreciated anymore."

"And it'll be a good one," said Ramesus as he stepped out from behind a curtain. "It's been a while, old friend," he said, looking at CyberV.

"Not long enough," responded CV, glaring at the source of the darkness the school was falling into. "That was pretty low, what you tried to do to Hikari."

"I merely pushed her along the path she'd chosen. Such a pity you pulled her back. She would have made an excellent Angel of the Night. She still might, someday."

"Never." CyberV found it hard not to tackle Ramesus, to try and force the location of the Scepter from him. But he had a feeling violence would solve nothing in this conflict between Good and Evil. "Just like I'll never really be a part of your group."

"Ah, but you ARE. Your shadow power comes to you precisely BECAUSE you are with Evil. Sooner or later, you'll need to fulfill your obligations to me, my friend."

"And how are you gonna make that happen?"

"Simple. A wager on the outcome of the duel. We each select one duelist, and the loser suffers a consequence. If you win, you may ask a single boon of me, save the location of your... I mean, MY Item. And if I win, you will be honor bound to duel on my behalf at a time and place of my choosing."

'And if that happens,' thought CV, 'it'll obviously be a shadow game. No matter what, he'd be rid of one enemy. But on the other hand, if my guy were to win, maybe I could throw a monkey wrench into Ramesus' plans.'

"Fine. But let's make this a little more interesting. You know that Poison prepares for these matches like a madman, and I know that Magyk's the best on the campus... So here's what I propose... We trade who our bets are for. I'll bet on Poison, and you'll bet on Magyk."

"Making me go against one of my own? Nice touch. I'm impressed." Ramesus chuckled. "You must be hoping to upset Poison by making him think I have no faith in him. But he knows better than that. Your stunt won't help."

CyberV shrugged. "What stunt? I just want this to be a LITTLE interesting. Hey, speaking of minor things in life, where's Poison?"

A loud bang and a cloud of smoke answered that question. All eyes turned to see Poison emerge from the eruption, decked out in a classical Magician's garb. "I have arrived."

CyberV waved his hand in front of his face. "Yikes. Haven't you heard about the danger of secondhand smoke?"

"Oh shut up. You mock me, but you know nothing of me. Do you know who I am?"

"A loudmouth?" ventured Jay.

"I am the son of the great Arcana, the first Master of Magicians!" He spread a cape that hadn't been there a moment before wide, in a flourish of the dramatic. He basked in the awe of that revelation.

"Who?" asked CyberV, prompting Poison to flop. He jumped up and yelled.

"ARCANA! The greatest magician of our age! The man of a thousand mysteries!"

"...Nope. Sorry. Never heard of him."

"He beat Houdini's famous water escape! He made the Golden Gate Bridge vanish!"

"Wait... Did he wear a lot of magenta?"

"Yes."

"And a striped bowtie?"

"Yes!"

"And he wore this cool horned mask?"

"YES! You HAVE heard of him!"

"No, I think I just described half the guys in Vegas. Sorry."

Poison flopped again. "NOW CUT THAT OUT!" He pulled himself up and brushed some lint off of his costume. "Don't you DARE mock my father you pathetic rank amateur. You know nothing of him, and nothing of me..."

"My... flashback sense is tingling!"

"SHH!" Jay glared at CyberV. They'd NEVER get out of there if he didn't stop needling the guy.

"Oh, I expect the derision. You see, long ago, when I was just a boy, my parents were the most famous act in magic since David Copperfield. My life was filled with wonder and joy... Until a stunt went horribly wrong. My mother left us, and my father... My father was horribly scarred, in both body and mind. He was utterly lost in self hatred when a man called Marik offered him a chance to win my mother back. And all he had to do... was defeat Yugi Mutou.

"It happened early into the Battle City tournament. My father lured Yugi to his own private arena, and into a shadow duel. My father didn't know it, but I had followed him to his arena, and I watched as Yugi cheated him of victory and all his dreams! And then, he was robbed of his soul as well. Yugi got away with my father's prized Dark Magician, while I was left with nothing save my comatose father and no prospects. I swore on that day that I would become a champion duelist, and that I wouldn't rest until I was strong enough to humiliate and humble the so-called King of Games to avenge my father! And YOU..." He pointed at Magyk. "YOU are in my way."

"Did he ever wake up?" asked Jay.

"No. He still lives, but even now, he's a vegetable, more prop than man. Marik restored many who were lost, but he neglected my father! I'll make him pay, too."

"All right," said Magyk. "Enough memories. Let's get this over with. I don't want to be late for lunch."

"Fine by me," said Poison. "LET'S DUEL!" Both switched their duel disks to play mode.

Magyk: 8000

Poison: 8000

"I'll start things off," said Magyk, "by summoning Breaker the Mystical Warrior in attack mode!" Breaker appeared, ready for battle.

Breaker the Magical Warrior: 1600/1000

"And now his special ability activates. When he's normal summoned, he receives a token that grants him 300 additional attack points!" An emblem appeared on Breaker's sword.

Breaker the Magical Warrior: 1600/1000 + 300/0 1900/1000

"Now I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn." Two cards appeared.

"Nice opener." Poison said it without meaning it. "Now it's my turn! I'll place one card facedown, and a monster facedown as well." Two cards appeared.

"You're one to criticize..." muttered Magyk. "I'll place one monster facedown." A card appeared. "And now, Breaker, destroy Poison's facedown monster with Mystic Shield Strike!" Breaker charged forth, shield glowing.

"Oh, too bad," said Poison. "My monster disapproves. By attacking him, you've activated the special ability of the Old Vindictive Magician!" As he said that, the monster appeared, blocking Breaker's attack.

Old Vindictive Magician: 450/600

"Oh man..." muttered Jay. "I've heard of that guy. He's bad news. When he's flipped, he destroys one monster on the opponent's field!"

"Exactly," said Poison. "OLD VINDICTIVE MAGICIAN! DESTROY BREAKER WITH VENGEANCE SPELL!" The Old Vindictive Magician opened his eyes and let loose a roar of hate and rage that shattered Breaker, before he himself vanished from the field. "Ah, my first magic trick of the game... Making your monster pull a disappearing act."

"Lucky move," said Magyk.

"Not luck. Superior skill. Learn to recognize it." He chuckled.

"I end my turn," said Magyk, concerned for the first time.

"First good decision you've made all duel." Poison looked at his hand. "I'll place one card facedown, and summon DD Warrior Lady in attack mode!" The card and monster appeared.

DD Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"Keep in mind, most magicians never reveal their secrets, but a great one is always prepared for an encore performance! Now destroy his facedown monster with Different Dimension Sprint Punch!" DD Warrior Lady leapt forward and punched Magyk's facedown monster card. The Magician of Faith appeared, screamed in pain, and shattered.

"Too bad you didn't have any magic cards in the graveyard." Poison grinned. "You could have gotten one back."

"I don't need her ability to stop a poser like you. I've beaten you twice, and I can do it a third time as well. Observe!" He drew a card, "I'll place one monster facedown!" A card appeared. "And now I'll play the continuous spell card Snatch Steal! You see, this is how it works: I get one of your monsters, and you get 1000 life points during each of your standby phases. And since your only monster is DD Warrior Lady, she's now MY monster!" DD Warrior Lady turned to face Poison. "Now attack him directly!"

DD Warrior Lady nodded and unleashed a powerful tornado kick right through Poison.

Magyk:8000

Poison: 6500

"I see you've snagged yourself a lovely assistant," said Poison. "Pity she's left me for a lesser act. She'll have to be chastised." Poison drew. "And thanks to your own spell, I gain a thousand life points."

Magyk: 8000

Poison: 7500

"And now to bring out my apprentice. Behold the Skilled Dark Magician!" An explosion filled the field, and as the smoke cleared, a new spellcaster stepped from the smoke and took a bow.

Skilled Dark Magician: 1900/1700

"And he'll perform a very special trick once three spell cards have been played. A spell card like Lightning Vortex! By discarding one card from my hand, I can empty your field of face up monsters!" Poison slipped Dark Executioner into his graveyard, and lightning struck DD Warrior Lady, vanquishing her. "And now, Skilled Dark Magician gets his first token." A sparkle of light appeared next to the Magician. "And he'll have his second now, as I play Premature Burial!" The card rose up. "I pay 800 life points, and I can bring my lovely assistant back to my side." A second sparkle appeared around the Magician as DD Warrior Lady reappeared.

DD Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

Magyk LP: 8000

Poison LP: 6700

Poison caressed her cheek gently. "Of course I forgive you, my dear. Anyone can be swayed by pretty words and a fancy move or two."

Jay sweatdropped. "He's crazy, isn't he?"

"I'm not really sure..." muttered Ramesus.

"I vote yes," sighed CyberV.

"Get on with it, Poison..." warned Magyk.

"Oh, of course. Now, my dear, you can make it up to me right now, by taking away his last defense." The Warrior Looked at him, afraid. "Oh, of course I won't forget about you once you're gone. Making people vanish is my job. I'll bring you back eventually..."

The Warrior Lady nodded and shot forward, punching the Apprentice Magician as it appeared from under Magyk's card. Both monsters vanished.

"A two for one. Not bad, wouldn't you say?"

"I just wish you'd pull your own vanishing act..." muttered Magyk. "Because I'd LOVE IT if you'd poof out of my life once and for all."

"Relinquish your title and admit I'm the superior spellcaster, and I'll consider it."

"No chance."

"I thought as much. Very well, Skilled Dark Magician? Chastize him with Perfect Magic Shot!" Skilled Dark Magician thrust his hand forward, and a beam of light struck Magyk, knocking him backwards.

Magyk:6100

Poison: 6700

"That's it for this round."

"I'll place one monster facedown." said Magyk, glaring as the card appeared. He didn't dare risk playing a magic card at the moment... Not when it would trigger the Skilled Dark Magician's ability. 'I need to turn this duel around fast, but he's relentless! He might actually beat me! I can't let that happen! I can't!'

* * *

"I can't believe the look on that idiot's face!" Hikari laughed as she and the other girls left the mall's card shop. "'We never get chicks in here!' Oh come on..."

"I'm not surprised," said Nat. "Their selection was pathetic. No wonder none of the other students go there."

"I tried to warn you," said Mouse, shrugging. "This is the last refuge of the desperate. In this town, if that store ever DOES get anything good, it's probably fake. One of the dangers of being in a town with a dueling academy... Everyone tries to make an easy buck off the unwary."

Allis walked out with several card packs. The others looked at her.

"...What?"

"...Nevermind..." Mouse sighed.

As they walked towards the opposite end of the mall, several punks noticed them... Or, rather, the duel disks on their arms. With a quick motion, the leader signaled his gang to follow the lady duelists.

"Uh oh..." said Flame Sprite. "We've got company..."

Ashes turned to see the punks advancing. "Ladies, I think we've picked up some unwanted admirers."

"Ladies!" The leader spread his arms wide. "I see you can't help but stare. It must be my animal magnetism."

"Actually, it was the smell." said Ashes.

"Breath mint?" offered Nat.

"Deodorant?" added Hikari.

"Cute..." The leader scowled, then whipped his hand out and slapped Hikari, knocking her to the ground. She rubbed her cheek, wincing in pain, as Ashes helped her up. "Any more smart lip?"

"Well, I wasn't joking about you needing the mint," said Nat. The response was a second slap... Which Mouse blocked deftly by grabbing the punk by the wrist.

"Hands off."

"Oooohh... Feisty! What say you and me go out for a night on the town?"

"What say you walk away and I won't break your arm?"

"You want me to leave, you gotta make me, pretty lady." He snapped his fingers and one of his cronies produced a Duel Disk. "You and me. You win, we leave you alone. I win, and you ladies are our dates for the evening."

"Fine," said Mouse.

"No." said Allis, piping up for the first time that they could remember. They looked at her, confused. "I'll do it."

"You?" The punk laughed. "What can YOU possibly do?"

* * *

"I'll remember how he fainted for years..." laughed Ashes as she recalled how the guy had reacted as Great Maju Garzett beat him. "HIGH FIVE, GIRL!"

Allis hesitated, then grinned as she high fived Ashes.

"That was impressive," agreed Mouse as her cell rang. She answered it and grimaced. "It looks like our day out's been cut short. That was Drift. LazyMan wants all the Good Duelists back at the school. He says it's important."

"Oh..." said Allis. "I guess this is where I bow out. I'll just catch a bus or something."

"Pfft." Hikari dismissed that notion. "Far as I'm concerned, whatever he wants to tell us, you're entitled to hear it too."

"Well then, let's go," said Nat as they headed for the exit.

* * *

"You really can't do much else, can you? You're a one note hack!" Poison sneered. "AMATEUR! PRETENDER! STAND ASIDE AND MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW MASTER OF MAGICIANS! I play Monster Reborn and bring out my protégée, Breaker the Magical Warrior!" Breaker reappeared, but this time, on the side of the enemy.

Breaker the Magical Warrior: 1600/1000

"And that makes three spell cards, if you're keeping track." A third sparkle appeared around Skilled Dark Magician. "And now, watch as he performs a special trick! He'll transform into the all powerful Dark Magician!" Skilled Dark Magician spun around, but as he turned to face Magyk again, he changed... into a red-garbed Dark Magician!

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"Now, Breaker, be a good boy and show me how much you've learned." Poison looked at Magyk. "You see, every monster in my care learns something about magic. In this case, Breaker's going to show you how to cut a monster in half!" Breaker charged forth and struck down the Apprentice Magician as it appeared out of Magyk's card. "Unfortunately, he hasn't yet learned how to put them back together. Pity."

"A pity because he just activated the Apprentice Magician's special ability! Now that it's been destroyed in battle, I can summon a new monster in defense mode, as long as it's level 2 or lower." A card appeared on Magyk's field.

"All that does is buy you one turn. Dark Magician, destroy it with DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Dark Magician thrust his staff out, and everything went negative. Including Old Vindictive Magician, who appeared, scowled, snapped his fingers, and made himself and Dark Magician crumble to dust.

"Instant spellcaster," said Magyk. "Just add water. Now I'll set one monster in defense mode, and one spell as well." Two cards appeared.

"Oh, you're funny. Maybe you should give up magic and become a comedian." Poison glanced at CyberV. "Or maybe a ventriloquist. I see you already have a dummy."

"WATCH IT!" growled CyberV.

"Hey, no heckling from the peanut gallery! I'm in the middle of a grand performance, after all. If you have something to say, save it for my curtain call." He drew. "I play Pot of Greed to gain two new cards, and I like what I have. I play Change of Heart!" The card appeared on the field. "This lets me take your facedown monster, and make it my own!" Magyk's facedown monster card hovered over to Poison. "And I think I'll see what it is." The card rose up, revealing Apprentice Magician.

Apprentice Magician: 400/800

"I was hoping you'd do that," said Magyk. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! TORRENTIAL TRIBUTE!" His facedown rose up, and a gigantic tidal wave washed all the monsters from the field. "You see, when a monster is flip summoned, Torrential Tribute can clear the field."

"Now look at what you've done..." muttered Poison. "It looks like my apprentice is all washed up in this town."

"And so are you," said Magyk. "I play the spell card Double Spell! By discarding a spell from my hand, it copies one magic card from your graveyard! And I choose Pot of Greed!" He drew two cards as Double Spell vanished. "Now I summon Blast Magician!"

Blast Magician: 1400/1700

"But he won't be around for long. Your monster could transform into Dark Magician? So can mine, with the help of the spell Magical Dimension!" A glass and metal box appeared on the field, and Blast Magician entered it. "By sacrificing himself, Blast Magician can become Dark Magician!" A purple robed Dark Magician appeared out of the other end of the strange box.

Dark Magician 2: 2500/2100

"Now attack Poison directly with Dark Magic Attack!"

As Dark Magician raised his staff, Poison wagged his finger. "Naughty naughty. Waboku says no go." Waboku raised up from it's facedown position. "Now I take no damage from that attack."

Magyk growled. Poison was really asking for it...

"And as far as Magical Dimension goes, I have one too! Observe as I summon another Dark Skilled Magician..." The monster appeared and entered the simultaneously appearing box. "To summon another Dark Magician!" Another red-garbed Dark Magician appeared.

Dark Magician 3: 2500/2100

"And Magical Dimension's second effect now takes place, annihilating your own Dark Magician!" The box created a vortex, and the purple garbed Dark Magician was forcibly sucked in as it vanished.

"NO! Dark Magician!"

"You miss him? Don't worry: MINE wants to say hello!" The red Dark Magician struck with a magical blast from his staff.

Magyk: 3600

Poison: 6700

Magyk gasped as he drew a card. "I place one card facedown, and play Reload." He added his hand to his deck, shuffled, and drew three new cards. "New hand, new duel. I think we need to see that last play of your's again! How did it go? Oh yes... Skilled Dark Magician..." The monster appeared. "Magical Dimension..." The box appeared and the monster entered it. "And they result in..." A new spellcaster emerged. "Dark Magician of Chaos. Whoops. Looks like I improved on that card trick. Especially since now YOUR Dark Magician bites the dust!" Again, a Dark Magician was sucked into a vortex, annihilated utterly.

"Now attack this poser directly, with CHAOS SCEPTER BLAST!" Dark Magician of Chaos struck the ground with his staff, and lightning struck Poison.

Magyk: 3600

Poison: 3900

Poison looked at his hand and bit back a curse. "One monster facedown."

"Oh, no witty repartee? Maybe you've finally realized you can't beat me." Magyk smirked. "You always were and will be second best. And second best isn't good enough... Not by half! I play Nobleman of Crossout to destroy your facedown monster!" The Nobleman appeared and stabbed the card. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared and disintegrated. "And now I'll summon Double Coston!" Two small black creatures appeared.

Double Coston: 1750/1600

"This duel ends now. ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY!" Both monsters surged forward.

"Not quite," said Poison. "MIRROR FORCE!" The mighty trap arose, and as the attacks of the monsters lanced out, both Double Coston and Dark Magician of Chaos were shattered.

"Blast it..." Magyk couldn't believe this. He'd been one second away from winning and ending this farce. And now he had to start all over!

"I'll place one card facedown," said Poison. "And I'll summon once more the Skilled Dark Magician!"

Skilled Dark Magician: 1900/1700

"Now show him some real magic!" ordered Poison as his monster attacked.

"YOU WANT REAL MAGIC?! TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE! REVEAL THE TRAP CARD MAGICIAN'S CIRCLE!" A card rose up, and a strange floating glacier appeared with a Spellbinding Circle inside. "This card was activated by your attack! Now we can each summon a spellcaster with 2000 or fewer attack points! And my choice is the Dark Magician Girl!" A female spellcaster appeared on the field.

Dark Magician Girl: 2000/1700

"And she'll get a power boost for every Dark Magician in our graveyards!"

"No she won't." Poison glared at that monster, remembering how it was she that took his father from him. Of all the monsters, he hated this one most of all. "SHE'LL SUFFER AS MY FATHER DID! BOTTOMLESS TRAP HOLE! DESTROY HER, THE MOST HATED OF ALL THE CARDS!" A trap card rose up, and the ground opened under Dark Magician Girl. A look of horror crossed her face as she fell, screaming, into the abyss. "And that felt really, really good."

"You lousy..." The screams of the Dark Magician Girl rang in Magyk's ears. A chill ran down Jay's spine as he realized just how spiteful Poison was.

"He has issues..." noted CyberV.

"Quite," agreed Ramesus.

"And that's not all. You may have cancelled my first attack, but now I can summon Apprentice Magician, all thanks to your pathetic trap." Apprentice Magician reappeared.

Apprentice Magician: 400/800

"Not only that, but now Skilled Dark Magician gets his first token." A twinkle of light appeared. "And since summoning that little witch on my turn sparked a replay, he'll attack you again!" Skilled Dark Magician aimed his staff at Magyk.

"And he'll fail again." He revealed a trap card. "SAKURETSU ARMOR!" An armored monster appeared, slashed apart the Skilled Dark Magician, and vanished.

"I expected as much. But you can't stop Apprentice Magician! Attack him now with Parlor Trick!" Apprentice Magician waved her hand, and a rope of scarves lashed out, striking Magyk like a whip.

Magyk: 3200

Poison: 3900

"Appropriate attack name, considering the one using it's a second rate Houdini wannabe. I'll set two cards facedown." Two cards appeared on Magyk's field. "And I'll bring out another Skilled Dark Magician." Another one appeared.

Skilled Dark Magician: 1900/1700

"Okay," said CyberV, "Raise your hand if this is getting monotonous to you."

He raised his hand blithely. Jay glared, but couldn't help but agree. Perversely, Ramesus raised his own hand.

"Okay, Skilled Dark Magician, destroy his Apprentice!" Skilled Dark Magician swung his staff, and Apprentice Magician vanished.

Magyk: 3200

Poison: 2400

"Of course," said Poison, "She can still perform a trick! When she's vanquished, I can summon a new spellcaster facedown!" A card appeared on his field. "And now, since it's my turn, I believe the time has come for the grand finale!"

The card on his field rose up to reveal Magician of Faith.

Magician of Faith: 300/400

"When this lovely volunteer is flipped, I get a card back from my graveyard. Monster Reborn will do nicely." The card ejected from his graveyard.

"Now I'll activate my trap, Call of the Haunted, to revive Dark Magician!" Magyk's Dark Magician reappeared.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"And I'll toss in Monster Reborn, to summon my version!" The red Dark Magician materialized.

Dark Magician 2: 2500/2100

"For fun, I'll toss in the spell card Dark Magic Attack!" The card appeared, and the red Dark Magician raised his staff. Everything went negative, and Magyk's spell cards shattered. "You see, this card allows my Dark Magician to annihilate everything in your spell and trap zones." Dark Magician, no longer revived by Call of the Haunted, faded away.

"NO! MY MONSTER!"

Poison chuckled. "You're defenseless. Pathetic. And a sham. This performance is nearly over now."

"He... He's gonna win..." realized Jay. "MAGYK! HANG IN THERE!"

"You were right to go with Poison," mused Ramesus towards CyberV. "How did you know?"

"He wanted the victory more." CyberV watched as the onslaught continued. "His drive to win today was stronger than Magyk's. And that was what I was counting on."

"And now I'll bring on the pain," said Poison. "The grand finale has arrived! I'll remove my two assistants from the stage..." Dark Magician and Magician of Faith vanished. "To bring out the grandmaster of ceremonies, the Dark Magician of Chaos!" Once more, the Dark Magician of Chaos appeared.

Dark Magician of Chaos: 2800/2600

"And his special ability brings back Monster Reborn, which I'll use to bring back once more my Dark Magician!" The red Dark Magician arose and grinned maliciously at Magyk, who braced himself.

"This is it..." muttered Ramesus, enjoying the show now that the climax had arrived.

"DARK MAGICIAN OF CHAOS, DESTROY HIS MONSTER WITH CHAOS SCEPTER BLAST!" The chaos mage struck the ground with his staff, and Skilled Dark Magician shattered.

"And for my final trick," said Poison gleefully, "I SHALL MAKE YOUR TITLE DISAPPEAR!" Dark Magician aimed his staff at Magyk, and everything went negative. Magyk collapsed to his knees.

Magyk: 0

Poison: 2400

"MAGYK!" exclaimed Jay as he ran to the spellcaster duelist's side to help him up. "Are you okay?"

"I guess..." said the dejected duelist. "At least now I don't need to worry about him coming after the title anymore."

"Bravo," said Ramesus, applauding Poison. "I may have lost my wager, but you have scored an impressive victory for the Evil Duelists all the same. Congratulations."

Poison looked at Ramesus dead in the eyes. "I didn't do this for the Evil Duelists. I did it for me."

"He's just mad that I didn't wager on him," explained Ramesus, apparently ignoring the fact that Poison was standing right there, even as he conversed like a friend to CyberV, a sworn enemy. "Anyway, I am, above all else, a man of my word. You won the wager, you claim the prize. What is the boon you seek?"

"Five minutes alone with Poison."

Ramesus stared at him for a moment. "You're joking, right?"

"No."

"He doesn't think they're even yet for the warehouse stunt," said Jay.

"Ah. Well, try not to hurt each other too badly, hmmm?" Ramesus turned and walked away. "Poison, accommodate our dear Warrior, won't you?"

"Fine." He growled softly.

"Jay, Magyk? I'll be right back. What's about to happen here, you don't wanna see." CyberV motioned for Magyk to follow him into the back of the stage, out of sight of anyone.

Once they arrived, they faced each other.

"If you're going to try and hit me, I don't recommend it," said Poison. "I'd enjoy the experience, but you wouldn't."

"Shut up and listen closely," said CyberV sharply. "You hate me, and I hate you. We can agree on that."

"That's all we agree on."

"Wrong. We both also agree on one more thing. Hikari."

"WHAT?!" Poison was taken aback. "What about her?"

"Ramesus isn't done with her. I can tell. He failed once, but he'll try again. My real request... Is that you watch her back... Protect her from the Evil Duelists if I can't. There are dark times ahead once the shadow games begin in earnest, and she'll need all the help she can get to survive it. I'm counting on you to make sure she does."

"Why me?"

"Because you love her, and don't want to see her hurt anymore than I do. We may despise each other for many things, but above else, we both want her safe and secure."

"So then... You want an alliance, at least when it comes to her."

"Exactly."

"Agreed." They shook hands. "But I still aim to take you down once she's out of danger."

"All I care about is getting past the danger."

Poison realized the normally mouthy duelist was being sincere. "Okay then, we have a deal. But what do I tell Ramesus when he quizzes me about our talk?"

"Leave that to me..." grinned CV, knowingly.

* * *

"So, what happened?" asked Jay as he, CV, and Magyk walked down the hall back towards the dorms.

"I don't see any bruises," noted Magyk.

"I... I asked if he'd install a holographic explosion program into my Disk. He declined."

Jay stared at him. "You are SO lucky Mouse isn't here to clock you one."

"I know..."

They heard rapid footsteps, and looked forward to see Drift running towards them. "THERE YOU ARE! Where have you guys been?"

"Took in a magic show," said CV. "What's going on?"

"It's Lazyman! He wants everyone in the team's meeting room right now!"

"Must be big," said Jay.

"HUGE," agreed Drift.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Magyk. "I'm kinda curious to see what's up. You don't mind if I tag along, do you?"

"Not at all," said CV. "Lead the way, Drift."

* * *

As they entered the meeting room, the guys could see that the room was packed with members of the Good Duelists, both familiar and unfamiliar. Ikke stood at the door, arms crossed.

"You're almost late."

"We were busy," said CV. "Now what's the commotion about?"

"You'll see in about one minute." Ikke stepped aside, and they could see a large monitor filling most of the far wall. Mokuba seemed to be adjusting the settings. Confused, CV and Jay found seats near the girls.

"They called you back from your day out, huh?"

"Yes. It must be important." Mouse watched as Mokuba worked. CV could see LazyMan sitting in the front row, anxious.

"Is it hooked up?"

"It's ready," answered Mokuba. "Okay, everyone, settle down. There's someone who needs to talk to you."

The doors closed and the monitor activated. After a moment, an unexpected image appeared. An unexpected individual.

"Greetings, Good Duelists. I wish I were speaking to you under better circumstances, but that is not the case. There is much you all must hear and heed if you are to survive the coming darkness."

"No way..." muttered CyberV.

The man on the monitor was Yugi Mutou...

Next Time: Yugi Speaks! Heed the Words of the King of Games!


	8. Heed the Words of the King of Games!

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, and Yu-Gi-Oh: the Arcane Chronicles: Yugi Mutou assembled the Millennium Puzzle, an event that propelled him into numerous shadow games as he and the Spirit of the Puzzle attempted to save the world. As they did this, they gathered and neutralized the threat represented by the Millennium Items, and the Spirit went on to his final reward. Years later, Yugi gives away his Winged Kuriboh to a duelist named Jaden Yuki, who soon after returned the favor by recovering Yugi's legendary deck from a desperate dueling copycat when the deck was placed on tour. At the Arcane Academy, the Shadow Games are on the verge of a massive return, prompting Mokuba to turn to Yugi once more, in hopes that the King of Games can lead them to victory...

* * *

The assembled membership of the Good Duelists, plus Allis and Magyk, stared at the giant monitor as the King of Games himself, Yugi Mutou, addressed them.

"It's Yugi!"

"The dueling king!"

"That's my uncle," boasted Hikari. "He's even more imposing on a big screen."

It was obvious that Yugi was speaking to them from Kaibacorp headquarters. Everyone could see an impressive laboratory behind him, with an impressive statue of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon evident.

"How... Mokuba, what did you do?" Mouse couldn't believe this.

"I filled Yugi in on our situation... And I arranged for him to participate in this live video conference. I thought talking to him might help."

"Just talk?" asked CyberV. "He's the greatest duelist in the world. He could put an end to this insanity single handed."

"I appreciate your confidence in me," said Yugi, "But for now, I'm afraid that you are on your own..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 8: Yugi Speaks! Heed the Words of the King of Games!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Confused murmurs filled the room.

"What's going on?" asked Ashes. "Why won't you help?"

Yugi held up his hands to calm the Good Duelists down. "It's not that I won't. It's that right now, I cannot."

Mokuba spoke up. "My brother arranged for Yugi's deck to go on tour last month. According to Yugi, it was picked up yesterday to prepare it for it's first stop, Duel Academy. I've already tried recalling it, but the tour is a part of a multi-million dollar publicity stunt, and my brother won't agree to release it because of 'mystic mumbo jumbo'."

"And without my deck, I fear there isn't anything I can do at the moment to help you combat the Shadow Games. At least, not directly. I cannot duel for the time being, but I shall do all I can to instruct you on how to weather and survive the shadow games."

"Well, why can't Kaiba arrange to have the deck tour here?" asked Nat. Yugi could just meet it here and clean things up right away.

"Because my brother doesn't own this academy, like he does all the others," said Mokuba.

"Well, if Kaiba doesn't," asked Hikari, "Who does?"

"I do," said the exotic voice of a woman as she entered the room. She wore ornamental Egyptian garments, and had eyes that spoke of great wisdom.

"It's been a long time, Ishizu," said Yugi.

"Yes, my Pharaoh. Far too long."

"The Pharaoh is no longer here."

"I am aware, but he chose you, and that marks you as his reincarnation. Thus you remain the Pharaoh, with or without his spirit."

"...Okay, I'm lost." Jay scratched his head, utterly confused.

"HEY!" yelled a voice just off of the screen. "Yug', don't hog the screen! We're here too, ya know!"

"And here comes even MORE confusion..." muttered Rocket Warrior as he appeared, sweatdropping. "He hasn't changed a bit."

"Joey, cut it out! This is important!" A female voice called out, but apparently Joey Wheeler wasn't listening.

"Oh, of course, Joey. You have your own stake in all of this, after all." Yugi, sweatdropping as well, stood up and moved aside as Joey Wheeler hopped into the seat.

"Hey, this is one sweet setup Kaiba has goin'!"

"Oh no..." muttered Hikari. "Dad?"

"HIKARI! How're ya doin'! Those creeps that tried messin' with your head? I'll clobber 'em. Just you wait and see! No one messes with my daughter and gets away with it!" He was hopping mad, practically with his nose to the screen.

Hikari sunk down in her chair, blushing.

"Oh, this is just wrong..." muttered the Flame Sprite.

"Try being in his deck sometime," said Rocket Warrior in agreement. In the back of the room, Red-Eyes tried hard not to watch.

"Joey, be careful! You'll break it!"

"Relax, Tea! I know what I'm doing!"

"It'd be a first," muttered another man's voice.

"What's that supposed to mean Tristan? You think you could do better?"

"You gotta ask? Now calm down! There's a lot these kids need to know."

"Ummm... Still confused here..." interjected Jay.

"Yeah yeah... Relax, kid, this won't take long." Joey gave a thumbs up.

"...This is the guy that inspired me?" asked CV, sweatdropping and trying very hard not to join Hikari in sinking down into his seat.

"Please don't call yourself the Duke of Dueling again... Please..."

"Well the Duke of Dueling'll just be a few seconds more. After all, they could learn a lot from me."

Hikari sank further, blushing so hard she was practically glowing red.

"Like how not to teach..." muttered Nat, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I HEARD THAT! Who said it?! Who said it?!"

"Cut it out, Joey! Quit clowning around!" Tristan reached into the view of the monitor and yanked Joey out of the seat by his collar. "We don't have time for this!"

After a moment, Yugi stepped back into the image and sat down again. "My apologies... Joey's been on edge ever since he heard the details of Hikari's last duel. In any case, as I said, there is much you must know about the past, not just about the shadow games, but also about your school."

All eyes were now on Yugi once more. Hikari knew all of what was about to be said about the games by heart, but she sat back up.

"The story of the Shadow Games and Duel Monsters began over five thousand years ago, in the age of the Pharaohs of Egypt. Ancient sorcerers, under the guidance of a wise ruler, the father to the Pharaoh that would become the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, saw to the construction of the Millennium Items, each designed with a different power. Their purpose was to promote peace, and to help protect against dangerous monsters within souls. There were originally seven items.

"The Millennium Scales could determine innocence of guilt by weighing the sins of those it judged. The Millennium Eye allowed others to read minds. The Millennium Necklace revealed the past, present, and future. The Millennium Key could alter or unlock the secrets of the soul. The Millennium Rod could control minds. The Millennium Ring could locate the other items and those with monsters within them. And the Millennium Puzzle bound the powers of the other six together."

"However," said Ishizu, "Shortly after the original seven were completed, several others were constructed as well. The Pyramid of Light, a counterpart to the Puzzle, was eventually stolen by Anubis, the God of the dead. The remaining two, the Millennium Amulet and the Scepter of the Balance, were sealed away, in the event that the worst came to past. As most of you know, the Scepter was entrusted to a group called the Arcane, to seal it's power and to protect it from a dangerous and powerful enemy. All other traces of it's existence were excised both from history, and from memory.

"Until recently, when it was stolen," said LazyMan.

"Unfortunately, true." Ishizu nodded. "The Amulet was entrusted to an offshoot of the Arcane, the Gravekeepers. It was split into two halves, and even now waits in a secure location for those who are worthy to behold it's power. I am told that half the Amulet has been earned. The remaining half awaits it's owner to claim it."

"Where is it?" asked Drift.

"Duel Academy," said Mokuba. "Chancellor Shepard, the man in charge there, is a member of the Arcane. He's guarding some powerful artifacts and the keys that hold them in check. But he's got that situation covered, and it's not important to what's happening here."

"Very true," said Ishizu. "When the threat of the King of Thieves became too great, the Pharaoh had the Scepter and the Amulet sent away, then had his own memory of the events altered to protect them. However, he unconsciously created a failsafe in the event that the world was ever to be endangered by the Scepter or the Amulet. His power would spread to his reincarnations, and to his reincarnations' allies, in the hopes that one would find a being worthy to take on the mantle of guardian... of being a Warrior of the Balance."

Yugi took this opportunity to take over. "I believe that I unwittingly transferred the ability to find this being to Joey years ago, during my first encounter with Seto Kaiba. During that ordeal, the four of us, myself, Joey, Tea, and Tristan, formed a pact of friendship, swearing that no matter what, we would always be together. Just recently, I myself felt a strange compulsion to help an aspiring duelist, by giving him my Winged Kuriboh. I think he is meant to protect the Amulet.

"Jaden Yuki," said CV. "His moves with it helped me in the duel with Hikari. "So he's a destined Warrior as well?"

"I am not certain, but I believe so. You were selected when Joey found you. The Scepter reacted to the magic spell and sought you out."

"And then I dropped the ball."

"No, everything happens for a reason. I believe the theft is a test of worthiness. If you can find it, you can halt the darkness in it's path and restore order."

"That would explain why Ramesus can use the power of the Scepter," said Ikke, "Despite not winning it in a shadow game."

"Precisely. It chose an agent of darkness to act as a catalyst for the challenge." Yugi was impressed with how quickly the young duelists were absorbing all of this.

"Okay, I think I follow all this," said Magyk. "But that doesn't explain your connection, Miss." He looked at Ishizu, still not entirely buying all the talk of magical Items and soul monsters.

"I am a member of the Tombkeepers, a group who awaited the return of the Pharaoh while guarding the Rod and Necklace. When I gained possession of the Necklace, it revealed to me the truth about the Scepter and the Arcane, including where they presently dwelled. After Battle City, I sought them out, and used my vast resources to establish the school at the same time that Seto Kaiba put his plans for Dueling Academies into motion. I knew that someday, a threat would arise, and that the chosen Warrior would be needed."

"She made sure I was invited," said Mokuba, "So no one would suspect that Kaibacorp wasn't behind that school. The Academy made a perfect cover for the Arcane to try and seek out the chosen Warrior while passing on their traditions to the next generation."

"Okay," said Allis. "But how does knowing all of this help anyone survive these shadow games?"

"Once you know the past of what you face, you know how to combat it," said Yugi. "The Shadow Realm is a dangerous sub-dimension where souls are banished, often destroyed or tormented... It is a place where the mind is manipulated, and things are often not as they appear. In the Shadow Realm, the monsters are real, and you can be seriously injured. Often, the Shadow Games carry sadistic twists. You must also remember that for an unprepared duelist, maintaining your creatures can become a mental strain. However, there are counters to some of the effects of the games and the Realm. First and foremost, by supporting one another, you can lend each other strength in times of need. The bond of friendship that the four of us forged was ultimately the weapon that defeated the Millennium Eye.

"You must maintain composure at all times. The weaker the mind, the lesser the strength of will, the faster the Realm will affect you. Stay strong and gather your courage, for you shall need it.

"The key to winning any duel, not just a shadow duel, is to discover your opponent's weaknesses, both in their deck, and in their personality. Locate that chink in their armor, and you can turn the shadow game back on it's creator."

"What about the duel spirits?" asked Ashes.

"Hmmm?" Yugi seemed confused by this, looked more closely through the monitor... And his eyes widened in shock as he realized he could see three Duel Monsters among the students. "It can't be!"

"...Does anyone here know what's going on?" Magyk looked around, but could see no reason for Yugi's alarm.

"Not a clue," admitted Allis.

Yugi couldn't help but remember a long ago battle, one of the hardest he and the Pharaoh had ever faced. He himself had been sealed away for most of the conflict, his soul stolen... But he remembered it all, thanks to his connection with Yami.

"A long time ago, my friends and I were faced with a deadly new enemy using a dangerous spell card called the Seal of Oricalcos. The seal was a part of a larger scheme to destroy both the human world, and a second one as well. A world of monsters. I was brought to that world by the Dark Magician Girl, who entrusted myself, Joey, and Kaiba with three powerful spell cards called the Legendary Dragons. But what matters here is the world of monsters. This is largely speculation, but I believe that in the right hands, a card will summon from that realm a monster in spirit form, creating a powerful bond with the duelist that activates it."

"That, and the occasional embarrassment," muttered Rocket Warrior.

Yugi heard that, and laughed. No one else except CV and Ashes really understood why he was laughing.

"What is their purpose?" asked CV.

"I believe that you already know the answer to that."

CV thought for a moment. "They're our guides and allies. When things get rough, they're there."

"And they've saved our lives, too," added Ashes, remembering both the exploding warehouse, and the fireball that had nearly incinerated her.

Yugi paused, considering that. "The two of you had best explain."

"Two of the Evil Duelists set up a homemade shadow game on the campus," said CyberV. "I was tied to a chair inside a warehouse, and bombs went off every time life points went down in a duel that was going on outside. When things got nasty, my spirits somehow became solid, and managed to free me."

"At the same time," said Ashes, "one explosion nearly got me, but the Raging Flame Sprite appeared between me and the fire, blocking it and saving me from serious injury."

"Hey, wait," said Jay. "I remember that. CV, you came out of that fire talking about penalty games, and the next thing I knew, Jimbo was on the ground screaming like he was on fire. I coulda sworn your forehead was... glowing... Some kinda freaky eye symbol."

"THE WDJAT!" exclaimed Yugi. "It seems that you've managed to tap into the shadow power despite not having the Scepter in your control. But how did you know of the penalty games?"

"I.. don't know." CyberV was confused. "I just... I just knew. I didn't really feel like me at that moment, either. It was like there was this righteous anger that overtook me."

"Which is a big difference from the usual Otaku Geek we know and avoid..." commented Mouse.

"It sounds," mused Yugi, "like the Scepter may have a spirit all it's own."

"What do you mean?" asked Drift.

"Back in ancient times, the Pharaoh did battle with a dangerous shadow duelist... In the end, they were both annihilated, but their spirits lived on in their respective Millennium Items. Those spirits were revived many millennia later. The Pharaoh's spirit became one with me. But the other possessed a friend named Bakura, and forced him to do as he wished. We eventually defeated Bakura's evil spirit, but it was a close thing. If there's a spirit... a Yami inside the Scepter, it may be trying to assist you from a distance."

"Or," realized CyberV, "It could be worse than this Yami Bakura."

"Yes," admitted Yugi, "We must accept that possibility."

"Okay, this is nuts!" complained Joey from just off the monitor. "You're telling me we don't know what side this kid'll be on when he gets his mitts on that Item? Yugi, we've gotta go there and help! What if it turns him psycho like one did ta Marik?"

"Nice to see you're keeping your head..." muttered Tristan. They heard a whap. "Now pipe down!"

"OW! Watch it, Tristan! I'm just worried about the kid. If I chose him for this through some kinda magic, then it's my fault if he goes looney tunes!"

Another whap.

"Nice, Joey. Like they're not worried enough already." Tea sighed.

"And CV went looney tunes a LOOOOOOONG time ago..." added Nat with a knowing grin. Multiple students, remembering recent events, couldn't help but agree.

"I'M RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW!" yelled CyberV.

"They know..." responded Hikari. CV flopped.

"He definitely takes after Joey..." Everyone could hear the exasperation in Tea's voice.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" said both Joey and CyberV at the same time.

"IT IS!" Two incredibly loud cracks could be heard as Mouse and Tea both walloped their respective bozos in the head.

"Perhaps..." said Ishizu, trying not to react, "we should focus on what can be done to minimize damage in the meantime."

"A shadow duelist," said Yugi, "Gets stronger with each soul they banish to the Shadow Realm. You must be vigilant, and try to prevent shadow games if at all possible. Any of you can become a target at any time."

CyberV got back into his seat, rubbing his head. 'Which is exactly why I made that arrangement with Poison. Worst comes to worst, she'll be safe. I just wish I could do the same for all of the team.' He kept his thoughts to himself. The fewer people that knew about the alliance, the better.

"And what about the rest of the students?" asked Nat. "I mean, Magyk and I aren't members of this group."

"That's true enough," said Ikke. "I don't even know why they're here. He turned down the invitation, and she failed her initiation. As it is, they both know way too much."

"You're wrong," said Drift, standing up and glaring at Ikke, astonished by his fellow teammate's coldness. "We need them if we're going to save the Academy. They can help spread the word among the students. Sooner or later, the unaffiliated duelists are either gonna be recruited or targeted, and either way, they need to be ready to face whatever's coming. Right?"

"Right," said LazyMan. "We're the League of Good Duelists, and we need to protect EVERYONE, not just ourselves."

"And push comes to shove," said Allis, hardly believing that she was the same girl that, not a day before, would have already run and hidden in a corner. "Push comes to shove, we can fight, too! You guys aren't alone. You'll have most of the campus on your side."

"And we'll need each and every one of you we can get," said LazyMan. "So we're going to do everything we can to recruit allies for the coming conflict. Drift, Mouse, I want the two of you to organize a quiet recruitment drive. The more students that are aware of the situation, the better off we'll be. Recruit them if you can, but even if you can't, at least they'll know what to look for and when to get out of the way."

Mouse and Drift nodded.

"Ikke, I want harder and longer duel training for everyone. You'll be in charge of that. Let any unaffiliated student that wants to help join in."

Various pained moans filled the room.

"Fine," said Ikke, obviously not happy with it.

"Is there anything else we can do?" asked LazyMan.

"For now, there isn't," said Yugi. "But your preparations will make a difference. As soon as I am able, I shall come in person to assist you."

"And I'll keep working to free your deck up, Yugi," said Mokuba. "And I'll help warn the students, too. It won't be too long before Ramesus notices what we're doing."

"Which means that you must act quickly," said Ishizu.

"Okay, people," said LazyMan, "Get going. We begin immediately. All volunteers for the task of recruitment and alerts know who to see for assignments. Be sure to note any students who are on the fence, and any who would side with Ramesus. We can't afford to turn away anyone that might help us or be in danger." The members of the Good Duelists slowly began filing out, some genuinely afraid, some looking forward to the challenge.

"And we need to start trying to figure out where Ramesus hid the Scepter," added CyberV. "If we can get it away from him in time, the threat will be over."

"Right. But since we can't rely on just one strategy, we'll have to divide our efforts. Ikke'll be working you hardest of all. Let's face it, when the time comes, it's going to be up to you to end this."

"No pressure..." muttered CV.

"Aaron," said Ishizu, using CV's real name, "A moment."

CV looked at the others. "I'll meet you outside."

"No problem," said Jay.

"Don't take too long," said Nat.

"I think things at the school just took a turn for the worse..." muttered Ashes. The Sprite couldn't help but agree.

"Man, you guys deal with some crazy stuff." Magyk shook his head. "I'm not sure I buy any of this, but I'll help if I can."

"You know I'll be there," agreed Allis.

"Hikari?" said Joey as he came onto the monitor again.

"Yes, Dad?"

"No matter what, remember that I love you. If you need me, I'll be there before you know it."

Hikari fought back tears. "I know. I love you too, Dad." She turned away to hide her vulnerability, and joined the others in leaving. Once everyone else had left, save CV, LazyMan, and Mokuba, Ishizu turned to face him.

"I'm surprised you did not mention your new ally."

CV's eyes went wide. "How... How did you know about-"

"What new ally?" asked LazyMan.

"Poison," said CV.

"WHAT?! Are you crazy?"

"Who is this Poison you speak of?" asked Yugi.

"He's the son of an old enemy of your's," said CV. "His father was someone you dueled once. A magician called Arcana."

"ARCANA! I didn't know he had a son."

"He wants revenge on you badly, but there's one thing in the world he cares about more than avenging his father."

"Like what?" Joey was confused.

"He's in love with Hikari," said LazyMan. "We already knew that from your last duel."

"Woah woah woah, the son of one of the biggest freaks Yug' ever went up against has a thing for my daughter?!"

"He's also," added LazyMan, "One of the two duelists that nearly got CyberV blown up last week."

"Oh, you gotta be freakin' kidding me! You're trusting a PSYCHO?!?!?"

"No, I don't trust him," said CyberV. "But he doesn't want to see Hikari hurt anymore than I do. Most of the time, he'll be an enemy... But if it concerns her well being, I believe we can count on him to protect her. That doesn't explain, however, how you knew about it," he said towards Ishizu.

"I no longer have the Millennium Necklace," she said, "so I can no longer see into the future or the past. However, I did observe your last duel from a distance, and saw that Poison was a potential resource in the battle to come. Given your own deductions, and the rumors I began to hear shortly before this gathering began, it was simple to deduce that you used the duel between Poison and this Magyk as a cover to form an alliance."

"He's already bragging, huh?"

"Half the school must already know of his victory," said Ishizu.

"There's more." said Yugi. "I have no intention of standing idly by as the shadow games resume. I'm going to see what I can do from out here. There are some old friends who would be more than willing to help."

"Well, we'd better get started, right?" asked Tea.

Yugi turned to face her. "Tea, this is going to be dangerous. There's no telling what kind of shadow powers Ramesus has acquired. Perhaps you should stay out of it."

"Not a chance," said Tea with absolute certainty. "When we got married, we agreed to stick together for better or worse. Well, if the worst is coming, I say bring it on."

"You're not ditching me either," said Tristan. "Serenity and I'll be there for you every step of the way."

"And there's no way I'm turning my back on a fight my daughter's in," said Joey. "We're a team, Yug', and just because the Puzzle and Yami are gone, doesn't mean you HAVE to go it alone."

After a moment, Yugi smiled and nodded. "You're right. I should never have even considered it."

"And I shall assist, in my own small way," said Ishizu as she held up two cards. "When the time comes, you will need these."

CV took them and was astonished by the power of the cards. "I can't accept this. It's too much."

"You must. You have much to learn yet, and there is too much at stake for you to turn away any advantage you are offered. My every instinct says that their power is necessary, and that you will know what to do, when you need to do it."

"...All right."

"And now, I must depart. My duties lie elsewhere. But know that I am an ally in this battle. I did not help the Pharaoh in his mission just to see it undone a generation later." Ishizu stepped into the shadows. "We shall meet again."

"Yes, we will," said CyberV.

"I'll go inform the professors," said Mokuba. "They could be a big help."

"All right," said LazyMan. "I'd better help the others with their tasks. We'll talk more later, CV." Mokuba and LazyMan started towards the exit.

"It's hard to believe that just two weeks ago, I was the joke of the dueling world," said CV. "And now everyone's counting on me to save it."

"No one is ever prepared for the burden of such responsibility," said Yugi. "There have been times where I myself wanted nothing more than to give up. But I had friends to see me though my darkest hours, and you have friends as well. Trust in them, in yourself, and in your decks, and you will have the strength you need to overcome this challenge."

"I... I won't let you down, Sir,"

"I know." said Yugi as the monitor turned off, leaving CV alone, with only his Spirits for company.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us," said Rocket Warrior. Red-Eyes nodded, growling softly. "But we're with you, all the way."

"Thanks, guys. I don't know what I'd do without you."

CyberV started for the exit, paused, and looked towards the empty monitor.

"I'll make you proud, Yugi. Just you wait and see."

And with those words, he walked through the doors, knowing that while the true battle had not yet arrived, the preparation for war had finally begun. And no matter what, he would face the challenges ahead with courage and determination... As befitting a Warrior of the Balance.

Next Time: Nat's Tale! The Rise of the Cyber Dragon Queen!


	9. The Rise of the Cyber Dragon Queen!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: With the Evil Duelists on the road to domination and power, Yugi Mutou and Ishizu Ishtar contacted the Good Duelists to educate them in the way of the Shadow Games. Spurred to action by Yugi's words, the Good Duelists have formed a plan of action... to find allies within the school ranks, and protect everyone else! Unfortunately, Ikke's in charge of their training...

* * *

"OKAY, PEOPLE! IT'S TIME TO SEE IF YOU'VE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK!" Ikke was making judicious use of his bullhorn. Every student within twenty feet of him winced.

"Okay, when did he become Ty Pennington?" CyberV cleared his ears and made a mental note to get earplugs. "Tonight, I vote we kill the horn."

"Hear hear," said Ashes. "I'll bring the sledgehammer, you swipe the noisemaker."

"I'll keep him busy, if you'd like," offered Hikari, equally tired of the amplified yelling.

"As you know," said Ikke, thankfully turning the megaphone off, "Two days ago, I assigned each of you a duel partner. Your assignment was to devise an effective counter-measure to their preferred style of play. This kind of training is necessary, because adaptability and preparation in a duel may be the difference between victory and the end of the world."

"I'd use the no pressure line," said Jay, "but it's so tired."

"Now it's time to see how well you've done. Split into your assigned pairs and begin dueling in two minutes."

"This isn't gonna be fun," said Jay. "Now let's see... I've got to find some girl named Marissa."

"Who?" asked Ashes.

"She's one of the new recruits Drift's brought in. That whole 'protect the students' thing LazyMan got started really out a fire under everyone's' seat." Jay left to find his assigned partner.

"I'd better get going too," said Hikari. "Guy named Jacob. From what I can tell, he really needs the practice."

"So, who do you have?" asked Ashes. "I mean, we all got newbies..."

"He's got to duel ME." Nat appeared, a confident cocky smile on her face.

"Ouch..." Ashes winced. "Good luck with that."

CV raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's a regional champ and you've won one duel in your entire career. My advice? When the time comes, yell 'not in the face! Not in the face!'" Ashes chuckled. "Oh, I'm kidding... I hope."

"Joy..."

"You'd better be prepared," warned Nat. "Because I sure didn't need to prepare for you."

CV idly wondered if Nat was right...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 9: Nat's Tale! The Rise of the Cyber Dragon Queen!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and GirLuvsTacos

* * *

"I hope I put up a decent fight for you, Nat," said CV.

"We can dream," she said. "Now, are you ready to lose?"

"I'll be using my Red-Eyes deck for this one."

"Doesn't matter. Just means it's dragons against dragons, and I'm betting on the new model."

"Then I guess the only thing left to say is IT'S DUELING TIME!" CV extended his Duel Disk to play mode. Nat did the same, albeit without the theatrics.

CyberV: 8000

Nat: 8000

"I'll go first," said Nat. "One monster facedown. That's all." A card appeared on her field.

"Don't go easy on me, Nat," said CV. "I need all the practice I can get."

"Yeah, I know."

"Har har. I play the spell card Non-Spellcasting Area. Now any normal monsters are immune to spells." The card appeared. "But that's just the opening gambit. I place one card facedown and summon the Red-Eyes Black Chick!" A card appeared, as well as a baby dragon.

Red-Eyes Black Chick: 800/500

"But he won't be staying. I activate his special ability, which lets me sacrifice him to bring out his adult form, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The Chick burst into a raging inferno. When the smoke cleared, the adult Red-Eyes roared.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: 2400/2000

"Now, knowing you, attacking that facedown is a bad idea, so I'll end my turn."

"Smart boy," said Nat. "Too bad it won't save your facedown card! I play Mystical Space Typhoon, which destroys one spell or trap on the field! GO!" The card appeared, and a massive tidal wave raced for the facedown.

"I was hoping you'd do that," said CyberV as the card raised. "Meet Judgement of Anubis, a powerful trap card."

"What's it do?"

"Simply, by discarding a card from my hand to the graveyard, I can destroy a spell or trap removal card." He discarded a card, then continued. "And then, it destroys one face up monster on your field and deals that creature's attack to you as life point damage!" CV looked at her field, then groaned. That second effect was useless.

Nat sighed. "Yeah, and if my monster was in attack mode, I'd be worried. You just blew it, rookie. You cost yourself a card from your hand and gained nothing. That's just the kind of mistake I'd expect from you. That trap was good for keeping me from destroying your non-Spellcasting Area, but even bothering to activate the trap? That was foolish. No wonder Ramesus nearly won that duel you had with him."

"You're right..." said CV. "Sorry..."

"Try focusing on play and not on theatrics, huh?"

CV muttered under his breath, kicking himself.

"I'll place one more monster facedown," said Nat, "And end my turn." Another card appeared on her field.

"Time to make up for that mistake of mine," said CV, in a voice that displayed anything but confidence. "I play Dark Hole! This clears the field of monsters! Of course, Non-Spellcasting Area protects Red-Eyes, but I doubt your face downs will survive!"

"Good move," said Nat, meaning it as her monsters were sucked into an abyss.

"And now, Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Attack Nat directly with INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" Red-Eyes nodded, a sure sign that the Spirit was inhabiting the hologram, before launching a massive fireball at Nat. She braced herself as it struck her, knocking her back a few inches, but failing to cost her her footing.

CyberV: 8000

Nat: 5600

"Gotta admit," said Nat. "I didn't expect you to have that Area card. But it's time it left the field! I play Giant Trunade to return all spell and trap cards on the field to our hands!" Giant Trunade appeared and vanished. CV reluctantly returned Area to his hand.

"And now I summon Cannon Soldier!" The military monster appeared.

Cannon Soldier: 1400/1300

"And I'll add Last Will!" Last Will appeared. "This card lets me summon a new monster when I lose one on my turn. And I'm about to, thanks to Cannon Soldier's special ability. He allows me to sacrifice a monster from my field to inflict 500 points of direct damage to my opponent. Namely you."

Cannon Soldier fired and vanished, even as his blast struck CV.

CyberV: 7500

Nat: 5600

"And now Last Will lets me summon Cyber Stein directly from my deck!" A mechanical monstrosity appeared.

Cyber Stein: 700/500

"I've heard of him," said CV. "He's weak, but his special ability's incredibly hard to use. Since most duels use 4000 life points and his requires that the user have more than 5000."

"True, but this is the Arcane Academy, and we DO have more than 5000. So, by sacrificing 5000 of my life points, I can summon one of my strongest fusion monsters directly without using Polymerization or the monster ingredients!"

CyberV: 7500

Nat: 600

"Come on out, CYBER TWIN DRAGON!" A two-headed mechanical dragon appeared, roaring it's arrival. Several students turned in awe to see the magnificent monster.

Cyber Twin Dragon: 2800/2100

"And his special ability lets me attack twice!"

"Not good..." muttered CV.

"DESTROY RED-EYES WITH TWIN CYBER FIRE!" Cyber Twin Dragon launched it's attack, Red-Eyes braced itself, but the monster was no match for the overwhelming firepower. It shattered, and CV was knocked back.

CyberV: 7100

Nat: 600

"And now for his second attack!" said Nat. "GO! ATTACK DIRECTLY!" Cyber Twin Dragon fired again at CyberV, who responded by smirking and holding up a familiar card.

"KURIBOH! GO!" Kuriboh appeared on his field and took the blast.

"WHAT?!" Nat couldn't believe it.

"You forgot I had a Kuriboh, huh?" asked CV. "Sorry, but by removing him from my hand, I cancel out that attack." He sent Kuriboh away. "That was the same move that saved me from Hikari's UFOroid Fighter."

"Lucky break," said Nat. "Your move, but I doubt you can come up with something to beat my Dragon."

"We'll see," said CV. "I play Pot of Greed! That allows me to draw two cards from my deck." He did so.

"And now I'll play the first one, Monster Reborn! It lets me bring back any monster from either of our graveyards. And I'm itching to see my old friend, so Red-Eyes comes back to the field." Red-Eyes reappeared.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: 2400/2100

"And now I'm going to finish this duel."

"How? Your Red-Eyes is tough, but my Cyber Twin Dragon's tougher."

"Simple," said CV. "I play the spell card INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" The spell rose up. "This allows Red-Eyes one direct attack on your life points, regardless of any monsters on your side of the field."

"NO!"

"Red-Eyes, let 'er rip!" Red-Eyes fired again, striking Nat and knocking her to the ground.

CyberV: 7100

Nat: 0

As everything faded, Nat pulled herself up. "Lucky draw, nothing more."

"Not really," said CV. "You said it yourself. You didn't do your homework. Me? I not only studied your strengths and weaknesses, but I had you beaten in no one, not two, but THREE different ways."

Nat looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, right."

"Oh, but it's true." Students were pausing in their duels to watch this. They'd heard about CV's total owning of Poison during his last duel, and it looked like he was about to give a repeat performance.

"You see, Monster Reborn and Inferno Fire Blast wasn't the only combo I had set up to defeat you." He drew one card from his hand and held it up. "Ever heard of Raigeki?"

Nat couldn't believe it. "RAIGEKI!? How'd you get that!?"

"Ebay." He shrugged. "Now, assume I didn't have IFB in my hand. I could still have won the duel by playing Raigeki. I play it, and every monster on your field is automatically vanquished, leaving you wide open for a direct attack."

"I could have had spells or traps set. You're not convincing me."

"Then allow me to correct that oversight with win scenario number 3. Do you recall when I played Judgment of Anubis?"

"Yeah. You wasted it in a bonehead play."

"Wrong. I knew all along that I couldn't use it's secondary effect. Instead, my intention was to send THIS to the graveyard." He reached into his deck graveyard, and pulled out a monster. He held it up for her to see. "You remember Jinzo, yes?"

Nat's eyes widened.

"Jinzo, as you recall, is not only as powerful as Red-Eyes, but he prevents the activation of all traps. Granted, if you had any quickplay spells, you might have been safe, but if I'd brought back Jinzo and used Raigeki, you would have likely lost then as well."

Nat had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"And then there's your foolish use of Cyber-Stein. You only had 5600 life points. You left yourself incredibly vulnerable by using such a costly effect, especially by forgetting that I had a Kuriboh. You didn't take the assignment seriously. You made no preparations and you came in cocky. You let me, a self-admitted rookie, beat you three different ways while you yourself concocted a fourth. Is that how a regional champion is supposed to duel?"

Nat just gaped at him. "You... You..." Tears began welling up in her eyes. Unable to speak and completely humiliated, she turned and ran out the door.

Ignoring the applause from some students, the glares from others, and the pained look on the faces of his friends, CV looked at the door. "...Nat..." He looked down. "...I didn't mean it like that..."

* * *

Outside the room, Nat leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor, CyberV's words burning in her ears.

_'You came in cocky. Is that how a regional champion is supposed to duel?'_

Clenching her fists, Nat couldn't help but think back to how she'd become a duelist... All those years ago...

* * *

Years ago...

"Wow!" Nat's eyes went wide as she saw the Naval Aircraft Carrier codenamed Dragon. Ever since her father, a decorated Marine, had been lost on maneuvers, she'd found herself under the wing of his best friend, Colonel Reginald Mitchell, another senior Marine. When Mitchell had heard that Nat had no one to take her in, he'd stepped up to help her, in memory of his lost friend. Now, she was going to be a military brat, and everyone that knew her couldn't help but think she was uniquely suited for the role.

The ship was the most amazing thing she'd ever laid eyes on in her short life. The smell of the sea air beckoned to her, and she was ready to answer the call.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" asked Colonel Mitchell.

"It's so big!"

He chuckled. "You won't be thinking that once you see what's below deck."

She looked at the name. "Why's it called Dragon?"

"Well, every ship has a name. As to why we call her Dragon, well, you'll see once you're on board. Now let's go! You're in the Marines now!" He picked Nat up and carried her towards her new home. Nat, for her part, couldn't believe everything she was seeing. There were so many people everywhere. It was like a small city. As Colonel Mitchell showed her around, something took her by surprise... And she screamed.

Staring directly at her was a metallic monster, slithering and roaring for all the world to see.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "This is why our ship is called Dragon. Meet our unofficial mascot, the Cyber Dragon." The Cyber Dragon coiled around Nat, who cringed, then flew back towards another Marine, this one wearing a strange device on his wrist. He was facing another man wearing the same device.

"C-Cyber Dragon?"

"Each year, the military branches hold an unofficial Duel Monsters tournament to alleviate stress and to take our minds off our duties for a while. You have heard of the game, right?"

Nat nodded an affirmative. "Is it going to hurt them?"

"Oh no, it's just a hologram. None of it is real. And the winner of our tournament gets a complete set of the Cyber Dragon cards, to make the ultimate trample deck."

Nat was utterly confused.

"Okay, how about this... Let's make a deal. I teach you how to play the game, and you promise me that you'll keep going until you're a world class champion, okay?"

Nat looked at Cyber Dragon, mesmerized by how it seemed scary at first, but now almost felt like she and the monster were meant to be together.

"Okay."

* * *

Over the next year, Mitchell taught her what he knew of the game, guiding her to specialize in the trample strategy. When she built her first deck, he'd felt as proud of her as her father, himself a player, would have been. Her first attempt to win the tournament ended badly. The other marines weren't ready to take a young girl seriously, and her lack of confidence was her downfall.

"Remember," said the Colonel after that attempt, "Don't let them intimidate you just because they're bigger. It's not strength that wins duels. It's heart."

Two more years passed, and two more chances were lost. And with each failure came knowledge, about the cards, about the game. Silently, Nat swore that one day, she would keep her promise and win for the Colonel.

* * *

It was her sixth attempt that she began to truly shine. She surprised her first opponent with a combo that beat him in two turns. Instead of being cowed by the jeers of the sailors and marines, she steeled her resolve and forged it into a weapon of remarkable focus. Men that had seen combat were unnerved by the glint in her eyes. This was a Duelist that would not be denied.

She was as surprised as anyone when she found herself one of the two remaining finalists in the annual tournament. Her opponent was a skilled martial artist, and his deck reflected that. He was unbeaten, and above all else, intimidating.

"A little girl? You're telling me that a little girl beat all of you guys? Oh come on! Where's my REAL opponent?" Nat didn't move or respond. "Go on home, honey. I'm sure your dollies will play with you."

"Shut up and duel," said Nat sharply. "Or are you afraid of a little girl?" Her years on the ship had taught her directness, given her a blunt manner. She was no nonsense, all business. No one trifled with her any longer.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," said the Marine. Both duelists launched their Disk projectors and switched to Advanced Expert Mode.

"For this final match," said Mitchell, "the finalists will be using double life points. They will otherwise be playing by Battle City rules, and the winner will claim the Cyber Dragons. DUEL!"

Nat: 8000

Kai: 8000

"Ladies first," said the marine, whom she later learned was named Kai.

"Fine!" said Nat. She looked at her hand. "Two cards facedown. That's it." They appeared.

"A frail move from a frail little child," said Kai. "Especially when I play the spell card Giant Trunade." The card rose up, and a water spout appeared. "Now your spells return to your hand." Her cards shattered as she removed them from her disk. "And I think I'll summon Mataza the Zapper in attack mode!" The monster appeared, bearing a threatening stance.

Mataza the Zapper: 1300/800

"And that's not all. I'll equip him with Axe of Despair! This equip spell raises his attack by 1000 points!" The Axe morphed Mataza's hand into a bladed weapon.

Mataza the Zapper: 1300/800 +1000/0 2300/800

"Now attack the little girl with Zap and Slash attack!" Mataza leapt forward and slashed at Nat. She gasped in shock.

Nat: 5700

Kai: 8000

"Did that surprise you? It gets better. I activate his special ability! You see, he can attack twice in a single turn! ATTACK AGAIN, MATAZA! Show the baby how a Marine fights!" Mataza did as it was told, slashing Nat again, knocking her off her feet.

Nat: 3400

Kai: 8000

"I think that will do for now," said Kai. "Do you want to cry, little girl? Go ahead. But Marines don't cry. They're the toughest there are, and you can't cut it."

Nat glared at him. "I haven't even begun to fight," she said. "First, I'll reset my spell cards." They reappeared. "And I'll play another spell card, Smashing Ground." It rose up. "This spell card destroys the monster on the opponent's field with the highest defense. And since you only have one monster, Mataza's crushed!" The ground rose up under Mataza, and flowed over him, crushing him utterly. The Axe vanished from the field as well.

"Now I'll summon Exiled Force in attack mode!" Exiled Force appeared.

Exiled Force: 1000/1000

"ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY WITH PARIAH'S SCORN!" Exiled Force glared at Kai and lashed out with eye blasts. Kai took it with a grin.

"Barely a scratch," he scoffed.

Nat: 3400

Kai: 7000

"And now," he added, "it's time you learned that there's no place for little girls in the Marines! I'll place one card facedown." It appeared. "And I'll play the spell card Premature Burial! It costs me 800 life points, but it lets me bring back Mataza!" Mataza reappeared.

Nat: 3400

Kai: 6200

Mataza the Zapper: 1300/800

"And I'll equip him with this. Fusion Sword Murasume Blade! This warrior equip card raises his attack by 800, and it can't be destroyed by an effect!"

Mataza: 1300/800 + 800/0 2100/800

"I'll also summon Asura Priest in attack mode!" The Priest appeared.

Asura Priest: 1700/1200

"Now go, attack with Spiritual Fury!" Asura Priest moved swiftly shattering Exiled Force.

Nat: 2700

Kai: 6200

"And now I'll finish the job with Mataza," said Kai. "ATTACK HER DIRECTLY TWICE!" Mataza leap forward to deliver the finishing blow.

"GOT YOU!" Nat smirked. "For a Marine, you're a real idiot! I reveal Sakuretsu Armor!"The card rose up, and metallic armor appeared on Nat's body just as Mataza struck her.

"Sakuretsu Armor?!" Kai didn't know what was going on.

"Yes," said Nat from behind the holo armor. "This card destroys one monster on your side of the field! So Mataza... is history!" Mataza was repelled, and Nat swung the armor's sword, shattering the monster. The armor vanished.

"How..."

"You're the Marine. Figure it out. And also, since Asura Priest is a spirit monster, it gets returned to your hand!" The Priest vanished. "And now it's time," said Nat as she drew, "to show you how a little girl's gonna wipe the floor with you! I play Premature Burial!" The card appeared.

Nat: 1900

Kai: 6200

"I'll bring back Exiled Force, but he's not staying around. I'll sacrifice it to bring out Jinzo!" Exiled Force and Premature Burial vanished, and Jinzo appeared, arms crossed.

Jinzo: 2400/1500

"And his special ability will keep either of us from using trap cards!"

Kai scowled. "Do your worst."

"I will. ATTACK THIS LOUDMOUTH WITH PSYCHIC SHOCK!" Jinzo brought his hands together and created a static energy ball that launched at Kai, knocking him back.

Nat: 1900

Kai: 3800

"My turn," said Kai. "One defense monster, and that's all." He couldn't believe the gall of this child, thinking she could beat him. Soon, she'd know the truth.

"For a Marine, you sure smell like a coward. You're hiding from me now. A little girl. Show some guts already. You're big and tough when you've got the upper hand, but the minute you're faced with a challenge, you cower. You're a joke, and I'm ending this duel right now. I play the spell card Brain Control!" Brain Control appeared, and spectral hands reached out and grabbed Kai's facedown monster.

Nat: 1100

Kai: 3800

"It costs me 800 life points, but it'll cost you a lot more. Now I've got your monster and you're wide open. Let's see what my prize is, huh?" The monster appeared.

Maha Valio: 1550/1400

"Perfect! Now, when you go home in disgrace, don't forget to tell your buddies about how you got beaten by a little girl. MAHA! JINZO! FINISH IT!" Both monsters launched their attacks, and Kai went flying into the nearest wall.

Nat: 1100

Kai: 0

Mitchell cheered as the monsters vanished. "YOU DID IT! YOU WON!"

Nat smiled as she saw her surrogate father. "Of course I did. I had you in my corner."

"That was impressive," said Mitchell. "Now that you've won here, do you think you're ready for the big leagues?"

Another Marine handed her a small bundle of cards, her prize. She could see Cyber Dragon front and center. Suddenly, she felt like she could do anything.

"Oh yeah..."

It wasn't long after that she began playing professionally, making a name for herself as one of the best Cyber Dragon players in the game. It was her third competition when she met Ashes... And not much longer until a mysterious invitation had arrived, welcoming her to the Arcane Academy.

* * *

Nat opened her eyes.

"Are you okay?" CyberV was kneeling by her side, the concern written all over his features.

She wiped the tears away. "Yeah." She thought back to Kai, how his arrogance had led him to underestimate her... And she realized that she'd made the same mistake in there just a few moments before. "Listen, I-"

"Nat, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you like that." He offered his hand and helped her to her feet. "It's just... All this talk of the Shadow Games returning... Ashes already nearly got killed, Hikari nearly got turned evil... I guess I'm just so worried that I'm going to lose the people I care about that I'm getting a bit overzealous... I was out of line."

"No, you weren't." Nat met his gaze. "You were right. I didn't take it seriously. If that had been one of Ramesus' duelists, I'd probably be a vegetable right now. But I'm not gonna let that happen again." She looked away. "A long time ago, someone took me in, taught me the game and to stand up for myself. I thought I'd learned those lessons well, but now I'm starting to see that I was getting blinded by my reputation. Any one can lose at any time, no matter how good they are... especially if they rest on their laurels." She turned to face him again. "You reminded me of something I'd forgotten... That arrogance breeds only defeat." She paused. "Thank you. I won't forget it."

"RUN!" yelled Jay as he bolted out of the room, bullhorn in hand. Ashes was close behind, and together, they made tracks down the hall, right as Ikke, livid, appeared in the doorway.

"GET BACK HERE WITH THAT!" He ran after them.

"THE HORN MUST PAY!" called back Ashes as they got out of range. Casually strolling out of the room, Hikari followed leisurely, shrugging and snickering as she heard Ikke's screams fade.

"You want to go watch the show?" asked Nat.

"Nah," said CV. "I'm much more interested in a rematch. You know, to see how much you've learned." He winked.

Nat smiled. "You're on!" Both extended their Disks. 'I'll make you proud, Colonel,' she thought to herself. 'You'll see!'

"LET'S DUEL!" They both drew their cards, and the battle began anew...

Next Time: The Darkness of Jimbo! The Man and the Madness!


	10. The Darkness of Jimbo!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: One of Ramesus' evil duelists, Jimbo, challenged Jay to duels as part of a larger plan to see if CyberV had shadow power. To do this, he attacked the rookie duelist with a stun gun and trapped him in an exploding card warehouse. CyberV tapped into his power, not only to escape, but to exact short-lived payback, mainly due to Ramesus' interference. Jimbo shortly thereafter sought revenge on CyberV for the Penalty game, but was electrocuted through CV's clever use of Jimbo's stun gun and a water bottle. Suffice to say, the Good Duelists haven't heard the last from him. Meanwhile, the Good Duelists have begun mass recruitment to protect students from the impending shadow games, while several members of the group have declared war on Ikke's megaphones.

* * *

"BZZT!" Jimbo had gotten used to that mocking sound ever since his attempt at revenge on CyberV. No one had let him live down the fact that he'd been electrocuted by his own weapon, completely humiliated in the halls and forced to suffer the indignation of detention.

He turned to glare at the newest malefactor, Sonny, who immediately turned away and snickered into his fist.

"Do it again and I swear I'm gonna-"

"Get beaten by a water bottle?" finished Carly, not even bothering to hide her amusement or disdain.

Jimbo growled in response. It was all that lousy punk's fault. Why couldn't he have just taken his lumps like he was supposed to? Worse, he couldn't even really back up his threats to Sonny and Carly. Not with their... reputations. No one knew if what was said about them was true, but he wasn't stupid enough to risk getting on their bad sides.

"You know," said Sonny, "We really SHOULDN'T make fun of him. He tries so hard. It's not his fault that the rookie made him cry like a baby."

Oh, that was IT. Jimbo turned to clobber Sonny, rep or no rep, when someone caught his fist and held it in place.

"That enough." Ramesus said it in a tone that would brook no disagreement. "Jimbo is one of the most loyal of you, and you will show him the respect due to him. He placed himself on the line to serve my needs, and I will not tolerate anyone making light of his efforts on my behalf. Do I make myself clear?" He glared balefully at Sonny and Carly, who balked, seeing the glint of power in his eyes. They could not know that Ryu Kokki was taking pleasure in their newfound discomfort.

"They fear you. That is as it should be. The dogs must always be aware of their master."

Ramesus did not respond. To do so would invite questions he was in no mood to answer. No one yet knew that he had gained a duel spirit during the duel between Hikari and the Warrior, and it was to his advantage to keep it a secret for the time being.

"Now, to business. I believe the time has come to see how powerful the shadows have become. Jimbo, I have an assignment for you. And if it goes well, we will rule the Arcane Academy with an iron fist..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 10: The Darkness of Jimbo! The Man and the Madness!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and E-Hero-What

* * *

"OKAY, WHERE IS IT?!" Ikke burst into CyberV's dormroom with a serious mad-on. CV, not looking up from his book and lying on his bed, took it all in stride. He'd expected this, after all.

"Where's what?" He was blase about this sudden interruption.

"My megaphone. I KNOW you're the one that instigated this stupid war against it."

"What war?"

Ikke grabbed CV's book and pulled it away. "This week, my megaphone has been flushed, stuffed in a dumpster, run over with one of the school busses, and rigged to set off stink bombs."

CV casually sniffed the air. "I thought that was your new cologne."

Ikke growled. He poked CV in the chest. "If anything else happens to it, I'm going to hold you PERSONALLY responsible."

"And that would be a fine plan if I actually did any of that stuff. But I haven't. I've been training. You know, the end of the world thing I have to stop. I don't have time to mess around with your precious god complex. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He snatched the book back from Ikke. "I have an hour before I have to go to class, and I'd like to finish this thing sometime before the end of the year."

"This isn't over," said Ikke as he turned and left, slamming the door behind him. CV casually flipped a page.

"Okay, he's gone." Rocket Warrior appeared, giving a thumbs up.

"Coast is clear," said CV as he reached behind his bed for a baseball bat. Ashes, Hikari, and Jay crept out of the closet, carrying their own bats and a tied up megaphone. Jay let go of the phone, and it swung back to the center of the room from a thin wire it was attached to.

"PINATA PARTY!" Ashes replaced her blindfold and took a mighty swing at the megaphone.

CV thought for a moment, then said to Jay, "Next time, I get to be the one to hide in the closet with them."

"You wish." said Hikari.

* * *

Jimbo strode through the halls, a man on a mission. He needed a test subject. Anyone would do, but Ramesus preferred someone low on the radar. Someone weak, with no real future in the game. Someone no one cared about.

He knew the perfect one. The kid was named Arnold Snyder, an absolutely hopeless duelist that specialized in two things... Weak monsters, and getting creamed. Jimbo's job was clear... To see if they were strong enough to banish souls to the shadow realm.

It was a job he was going to enjoy.

"So, where is that little pipsqueak?" Looking around the halls, Jimbo spotted a bit of a crowd ahead. "Hmmm?" He walked closer, recognizing the voice of the girl talking, but stayed out of view. He couldn't make out her words, but he knew the voice belonged to LazyMan's right hand girl, Mouse. Whatever she was doing, it was obviously enough to draw some attention.

"Well, if any of you change your minds," said Mouse, "you know where to find me." Several students nodded, some scoffed.

Arnold was one of the few genuinely afraid.

Jimbo grinned as Mouse turned away from the crowd and walked away. He watched her go, then returned his attention to Arnold. While the group dispersed, he breathed a sigh of relief. But his relief, mused Jimbo, wasn't going to last.

Jimbo walked up behind Arnold. "Snyder!" He said it just loud enough to make the kid jump. Arnold, terrified, turned to see Jimbo and practically went white.

"Y-You..." He ducked down, cringing. "I-I don't have any money or rare cards! Please, don't hurt me..."

"You and me're gonna duel. Right now. Got it?"

Arnold blinked and looked up. "You're... Not going to hurt me?"

Jimbo cracked his knuckles. "Now, I never said THAT..."

* * *

His chosen arena was one of the basketball courts on the edge of the campus. This time of day, not many students would be around. That meant no distractions from the job at hand.

Arnold, predictably, was nervous as could be. Shaking, he slipped his duel disk on. Jimbo's was already strapped and activated.

"Now, why are you so scared?" Jimbo asked in a mocking tone. "Could it be that you've heard of the Shadow Games?" Arnold gulped, confirming part of what Jimbo suspected. "Mouse told you all about them, I'm sure. Well, guess what? THIS is a Shadow Game, and the loser's soul? Well, let's just say you'd better improve drastically in the next few minutes." Jimbo chuckled as Arnold finally turned on his Disk, all the while looking pale as a sheet.

"Tell you what, I'll even let you go first. Not like I'M going anywhere..."

Jimbo: 8000

Arnold: 8000

Trembling, Arnold drew his cards. "I... I play Jerry Beans Man in attack mode." A strangely adorable bean man appeared.

Jerry Beans Man: 1750/0

"And... And I'll play Malevolent Nuzzler, too." The magic card appeared, and a green woman manifested beside Jerry Beans Man. "She'll give him 700 more attack points."

Jerry Beans Man: 1750/0 + 700/0 2450

Jimbo was actually impressed. Maybe the duel wouldn't be a total waste of time.

"I'll place one card facedown and... and end my turn." A card appeared.

"And now it's time to bring the pain." Jimbo grinned as he drew and looked at his hand. He wasn't even bothering to use his regular deck. Against this loser, a deck he was testing would do just fine. Still, he kept his favorite monster close, and patted his pocket to remind himself that it was with him. "Nice monster. Too bad he's gonna be useless once I play the spell card Heavy Storm!" Heavy Storm appeared, and a massive wind shattered Arnold's facedown and Malevolent Nuzzler. "It destroys all spells and traps on the field. Which is too bad, because now your monster's a heckuva lot weaker."

Jerry Beans Man: 2450-700 1750

Arnold gulped.

"Now I summon Berserk Gorilla in attack mode!" A massive ape appeared.

Berserk Gorilla: 2000/1000

"Now I'll play three spell cards. FIRST, Horn of the Unicorn!" A horn appeared on Berserk Gorilla's head.

Berserk Gorilla: 2000/1000 +700/700 2700/1700

"That increases his attack and defense by 700. Nasty, wouldn't you agree?" Arnold meekly nodded.

"Second, Fairy Meteor Crush!" The card appeared. "Now when I destroy your defense monsters with my Gorilla, you take the difference in damage."

"But... But I don't have a monster in defense mode."

"You WILL. I play Block Attack! This forces one of your monsters into defense mode!" The card appeared and glowed, as Jerry Beans Man switched to defense.

"But... But he doesn't have any defense points!"

"Yeah. This is gonna HURT. ATTACK JERRY BEANS MAN WITH GORILLA FLAME BREATH!" Berserk Gorilla let loose a plume of flames, and Jerry Beans Man shattered. The flames struck Arnold head on, and the amateur duelist dropped to his knees.

Jimbo: 8000

Arnold: 5300

"You're weak and pathetic," said Jimbo. "You disgust me."

But even as he said it, he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander towards his own past...

* * *

The Past...

"You're weak and pathetic. You disgust me." Jimbo's father, Richard, looked at Jimbo's deck with the same face someone would make towards the smell of a dead skunk along the side of the road. Jimbo looked down, ashamed. "You and your Mystic Swordsman. He's a joke, son. A JOKE!" With those words, Richard tossed the deck at his son. Jimbo watched helplessly as his deck scattered across the floor. He caught sight of the Mystic Swordsman LV2, staring at him like he'd failed it.

"But I came in second in the tournament. I did great."

"No, you came in second. YOU LOST. Your Swordsmen weren't up to the task, boy. And neither were you. You need to stop using them, and focus on something with REAL power." He held up a card. The End of Anubis.

"The... The End of Anubis?" Jimbo didn't understand.

"Yes. Anubis, the Egyptian lord of the dead. Few can fathom his power as I can." Richard had a frightening glint in his eye.

"What do you mean?" Jimbo knelt down to gather his deck. He couldn't bring himself to look at his favorite card as he finished gathering them.

"I suppose I've never told you the story, now have I? You see, Son, a few years ago, I happened upon a special exhibit at the museum, dedicated to an artifact called the Pyramid of Light. It was rumored to be the eighth in a series of ancient mystical items from the age of the Pharaohs. I thought it rubbish at first, until I saw, of all people, the legendary duelist Yugi Mutou visiting it. He himself was rumored to possess mystical powers, and his interest fueled my own. I still don't know what happened, but one minute, he was staring at the Pyramid, the next, it and the mummy accompanying it were gone. I could have left it as an unsolved mystery, but I knew that if I followed Yugi, I would learn more. When he was summoned to Seto Kaiba's dueling arena, I knew I was onto something wonderful.

"When I arrived, I was too late to enter, for the building was sealed off. I waited, but it seemed as though my journey was in vain... Until the building began to collapse and crumble. Soon enough, I was treated to a singular vision. Yugi Mutou was dueling Anubis himself, resurrected and out for revenge against a Pharaoh inhabiting the puzzle around his neck. I witnessed his great beasts: Sphinx Teleia, Andro Sphinx, and the almighty and nigh unstoppable Theinen the Great Sphinx. It was only through dumb luck that the King of Games was able to vanquish the beasts, shattering the Pyramid of Light in the process. And when he managed to vanquish Anubis as well, I was granted an opportunity.

"Soon, all involved left, leaving me, unnoticed, to sift through the rubble... And my search quickly bore fruit!" Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of jewelry, decorated with clear and red crystals. "I found the remains of the Pyramid of Light, and used them to craft this amulet. Through the traces of shadow magic still within, I learned of Anubis' true power... Power that I alone have mastered, my boy. Power that YOU will one day master. The Sphinx monsters are gone, but Anubis remains. All you need to do is TAKE IT."

Jimbo got up and slowly began backing away. Seeing this, his father lashed out and grabbed the deck from his son's hands. Not waiting for a chance to recover the deck, Jimbo turned and bolted out the door, horrified by his own father.

"Fine then. Run like the sniveling coward you are. But know this... When you return, you will behold Anubis..." He looked at the amulet and the deck. "And you will either embrace him, or know oblivion."

* * *

The present:

Jimbo growled, remembering the man that had ruined his life. But memories would wait. He needed to focus on the here and now.

Jimbo: 8000

Arnold: 5300

"Make your move already, so I can get that much closer to feeding your soul to the demons in the dark."

Shaking, Arnold drew. And his eyes went big. 'WOW! This card might save me... I hope...'

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" The card raised on Arnold's field. "It destroys one magic card on the field, and I choose Fairy Meteor Crush!" Jimbo's Fairy Meteor Crush vanished off of his disk and the field. "Now I can put monsters in defense mode without getting hurt!" Arnold breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hiding only prolongs the terror. Keep it moving."

Arnold looked at his hand. A plan began to form through the terror, but it was risky.

"I place one card facedown." A card appeared. "And I summon a monster in defense mode." A monster card appeared.

"That's it?" Jimbo sighed. "I swear, it's like you WANT to lose." He drew. "And I play Pot of Greed. Now I gain two new cards." Her looked at them and grinned. "And one of them's another Fairy Meteor Crush!" He placed it on the field. "Now your defense monster dies! ATTACK WITH GORILLA FLAMES!"

Berserk Gorilla roared flames, but for once, Arnold wasn't afraid. "REVEAL THREATENING ROAR!" His facedown rose up. A spectral beast head blocked the flames with a mighty roar. "This trap card stops attacks for one turn."

"So you've bought yourself time. That's all. I'll place one card facedown and see what you've got up your sleeve."

Arnold nodded. "Reveal Doitsu!" A strange orange fairy appeared.

Doitsu: 100/200

"And now, I'll summon his brother Soitsu!" A green twin appeared.

Soitsu: 0/0

Jimbo couldn't believe this. "You're joking, right?"

"Not once I activate Doitsu's special ability! He's a union monster, so now I'll equip him to Soitsu, making Soitsu's attack 2500!" Doitsu moved behind Soitsu.

Soitsu w/ Doitsu: 2500/0

"They're still not strong enough to beat my Gorilla," said Jimbo, annoyed.

"He will be when I add Rush Recklessly!" The card appeared.

Soitsu w/ Doitsu: 2500/0 + 700/0 3200

"This card increases his attack by 700 for the remainder of my turn. NOW, ATTACK WITH FAIRY BROTHER UNION!" The brothers charged forward, towards Berserk Gorilla.

"Yeah, but what good will that do you when his attack'll be 700 total in about ten seconds?"

Arnold was confused and scared. "W-What?"

"REVEAL TRAP CARD! RAIGEKI BREAK!" The card rose up from Jimbo's field. "Now, by discarding a card from my hand, one card on your field goes bye bye."

Arnold went pale.

'Yeah, be afraid, Kid. I know what it's like to lose one of your best monsters.'

And Jimbo's mind wandered again to the past...

* * *

The Past...

It was a few hours later that Jimbo dared return to his home and his lunatic father. He barely even got in the door before he saw his deck lying on a table. Looking around, and not seeing Richard, he picked up his deck and inspected it.

"No..." His deck was completely altered. His Swordsmen were gone, along with every other Warrior. Instead, they were replaced with Zombies and End of Anubis. This was no longer his deck, but a deck of pure evil.

"Like it? I made it myself." Jimbo, startled, turned to see his father grinning maliciously.

"Why?!"

"Like I said, it's time you knew the power of Anubis, my Boy. We're going to play a game, you and I... a SHADOW GAME. If you win, I'll restore your deck to you and destroy the remains of the Pyramid of Light. But if I win, you will wear my amulet and accept the power of Anubis into your very soul." He grinned again. "Really, you win no matter what, my Boy."

"You're sick, Dad. You need help."

"Put on your Duel Disk, Son, or lose your very soul." Richard already had one on, a strange dark gray design that looked like it was as evil as the Devil. "You like it? I got it from the soulless body of another shadow duelist. Such a pity his cards weren't left with him. I would have enjoyed trying the Seal of Oricalcos."

Jimbo, fearfully, strapped on his disk. 'Maybe if I win this duel, I can snap my father out of this insanity and get him to a doctor.'

"LET'S DUEL!"

Jimbo: 4000

Richard: 4000

"I'll begin," said Richard. "Two face downs, and a monster facedown as well." Three cards appeared.

"I'll place one monster facedown." Jimbo's card appeared.

"A weak opening from a weak duelist. I expected better, my Boy. And now, you'll be destroyed by your own card. REVEAL MYSTIC SWORDSMAN LV2!" The Swordsman appeared, brandishing his blade.

Mystic Swordsman LV2: 900/0

"M...Mystic Swordsman..." Jimbo couldn't believe it. "YOU MONSTER! You're crazy! You're supposed to be my father, not my enemy!"

"I'm raising you as best I can, my Boy. And if I have to prove to you that your cards are traitors all, so be it. MYSTIC SWORDSMAN, STRIKE HIS FACEDOWN WITH LEVEL 2 SLASH!" Mystic Swordsman bolted forward and sliced apart the facedown, which shattered.

"And now I'll activate the Swordsman's special ability, and sacrifice him to gain Mystic Swordsman LV4!" The Swordsman morphed to a more powerful form.

Mystic Swordsman LV4: 1900/1600

"I end my turn."

Jimbo growled. "You're completely insane... But I'll save you, Dad. I promise." Jimbo looked at his hand. "BRAIN CONTROL!" The potent spell card appeared on the field, and morphed into a brain with spectral hands. "This card costs me 800 life points, but it lets me gain control of Mystic Swordsman LV4!"

Jimbo: 3200

Richard: 4000

The hands reached out and grabbed the Swordsman, before placing him on Jimbo's side of the field.

"And I hate to do it, but I'll sacrifice LV4 to summon Vampire Lord!" Watching sadly, Jimbo bid farewell to his monster as Vampire Lord appeared.

Vampire Lord: 2000/1500

"I'll also play Book of Life!" The book appeared in Vampire Lord's hands. "This lets me summon a zombie type from the graveyard while removing one monster from your graveyard from play! So now LV4's free of you, and I can bring back my old facedown Spirit Reaper!" Spirit Reaper appeared as the book vanished.

Spirit Reaper: 300/200

"NOW, ATTACK HIS FACEDOWN! VAMPIRE LORD!" Vampire Lord vanished into his cloak and reappeared over the facedown, before shattering it with his fist.

"And now, Spirit Reaper, attack my father directly!" Spirit Reaper flew forward and struck with it's sickle.

Jimbo: 3200

Richard: 3700

"And that activates his special ability. Now you discard one card from your hand." Richard did so, mildly impressed with his son.

"And now it's my turn, my Boy," said Richard as he drew. "I play Swords of Concealing Light." Black blades appeared around Jimbo, and his monsters switched to defense mode. "Now you can't attack for the next two turns, because all your monsters must be summoned in defense mode and cannot change."

Jimbo bit back a curse. His father was going all out to destroy his own flesh and blood!

"And now, I'll summon another Mystic Swordsman LV2." LV2 reappeared.

Mystic Swordsman LV2: 900/0

"NOW, DESTROY THE FACEDOWN VAMPIRE LORD!" Mystic Swordsman did so, it's special ability preventing damage calculation.

"Dad... Please, stop this..."

"Never. I reveal a trap! Time Seal!" The card rose up, and a chain appeared on Jimbo's deck. "Now, you can't draw on your next turn. And Mystic Swordsman's ability activates as well, and he evolves to LV4!"

Mystic Swordsman LV4: 1900/1600

Jimbo went white. This was insanity. "I'll place one card facedown." The card appeared, and the Time Seal vanished.

"My turn then. No surprise. Cowering was always your best strategy. Not that you can do anything else with the Swords in play. I summon Sasuke Samurai in attack mode." Sasuke Samurai appeared.

Sasuke Samurai: 500/800

"NOW, BOTH MONSTERS WILL DESTROY YOUR FACE DOWNS!" Both monsters struck the cards on Jimbo's field, and they shattered.

"And now the Swordsman evolves again! Level 6! ARISE!"

Mystic Swordsman LV6: 2300/1700

"I play Dark Hole," said Jimbo as a dark vortex appeared. "I'm sorry, Swordsman. I promise I'll get you back." The monsters vanished. "I end my turn." Jimbo looked down as the Swords faded as well.

"Too bad. You're about to lose, my Boy. I summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke in attack mode!" The monster appeared.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"ATTACK MY SON DIRECTLY WITH HOKAGE BLADE STRIKE!" The Grandmaster lashed out, and Jimbo fell to his knees in pain.

Jimbo: 1400

Richard: 3700

Jimbo drew a card and felt sick to his stomach. He'd drawn End of Anubis, the card his father worshiped in his ill state. Still, what choice did he have?

"I play Snatch Steal!" The card appeared. "Now I gain control of your monster, and during each of your standby phases, you gain 1000 life points. But he won't be staying, as I'm gonna sacrifice Grandmaster right now to summon the symbol of your sick obsession! END OF ANUBIS, ARISE!" Grandmaster faded away as a frightening creature appeared. But despite what was shown on the card, what appeared was a man, powerful, muscular, and looking like evil incarnate.

"I AM ANUBIS. Gaze upon me, and know DEATH."

The End of Anubis: 2500/0

Richard applauded. "Bravo, my Boy. You've summoned the almighty Anubis. My Lord, I live to serve you."

"SILENCE." Anubis lashed out at Richard without waiting for Jimbo to call an attack. Richard fell backwards. "You are the servant. Speak not to me. Simply obey my whims."

Jimbo: 1400

Richard: 1200

"DAD!"

"You are pathetic," said Anubis, turning towards Jimbo. "You invoke my power, yet you do not worship me as I deserve. For that, you shall be punished, taught in the ancient ways... You will embrace me, or you will DIE."

Jimbo's eyes went wide as his own monster turned on him, blasting him with mystical energy that felt downright necrotic. Jimbo fell to his knees, feeling like he was going to die, gasping for air, unable to speak.

Jimbo: 0

Richard: 1200

"This farce of a Shadow Game is ended," decreed Anubis. "Servant, finish your work and make your son my slave."

"Yes, Master," said Richard as he removed the amulet from his pocket and carefully placed it around Jimbo's neck.

Jimbo looked down at the amulet. It began to glow. Then came the agony. He screamed and collapsed.

"It is done," said Anubis. "Serve me well, Whelp." Anubis faded away, and Jimbo knew only darkness.

* * *

The Present...

"Yeah, you lose one card now... AND I CHOOSE DOITSU!" The orange monster vanished.

Soitsu-Doitsu: 3200-2500 700/0

"Yeah, Rush Recklessly. Good name for the card you used. GORILLA, COUNTER ATTACK!" Berserk Gorilla let loose with flames, shattering Soitsu.

Jimbo: 8000

Arnold: 3300

Arnold couldn't believe it. He had nothing in his hand that could save him.

"Yeah, you're toast. It's my turn now, and I'll add Invigoration. It costs Gorilla 200 defense points, but increases his attack by 400." The field spell appeared, shining prismatic light everywhere.

Berserk Gorilla: 2700/1000 + 400/-200 3100/800

"NOW ATTACK THIS COWARD DIRECTLY!" Berserk Gorilla lashed out at Arnold with a massive furry fist, sending the kid flying into the far end of the court.

Jimbo: 8000

Arnold: 200

"It's over, kid. Get ready to enter the Shadow Realm. All I need to do is play one last card."

Arnold looked up, white as a ghost. Jimbo grinned. This was going to be fun...

* * *

The Past...

Jimbo's eyes opened to sight of his father watching over him. But he felt no fear. Only hate.

"You've returned," said his father. "Excellent. Now, together, we can begin to help our master take revenge on the Pharaoh's spirit... On Yugi Mutou..."

"No." Jimbo glared at his father. "We don't NEED you anymore." Jimbo raised his hand up, and tendrils of darkness snaked from his fingers, before wrapping around his father. "You would sacrifice your son to evil for power. You are too ambitious, and must pay the price for your hubris. You assume yourself worthy to serve Anubis. Serve him now as food in the Shadow Realm."

The tendrils completely absorbed Jimbo's father, and he screamed for a moment before he vanished entirely.

That was when Mystic Swordsman LV2 appeared from the darkness and slashed the amulet from Jimbo's neck. As it struck the ground, the Swordsman vanished and Jimbo came to his senses.

"Dad? DAD?!" And as the memories of what he'd experienced... and what he'd just done returned... Jimbo began to laugh the laugh of a madman.

* * *

The Present...

"Sorry, kid, but you put up one lousy fight. Now you're gonna suffer as I play the spell Mass Driver!" A massive cannon appeared." Here's how it works. I sacrifice one of my monsters, and you take 400 damage. And since you've only got 200 life points..." Jimbo grinned maliciously.

"No... No, please..." Arnold was actively crying now, begging for his life. Jimbo liked that.

"Them's the breaks. BERSERK GORILLA, SACRIFICE YOURSELF TO SNUFF OUT THIS FOOL!" The Gorilla vanished. "MASS DRIVER, ATTACK DIRECTLY WITH THOUSAND TON BLAST!" The Mass Driver took aim at Arnold and let loose, sending the hapless duelist onto his back.

Jimbo: 8000

Arnold: 0

"Game over," said Jimbo. He laughed. "Now, before I let your soul get shredded, tell me what Mouse was doing." Arnold gulped. Cringing, he covered his head.

"She was trying to recruit everyone!"

"Oh?"

"YES! She said the Shadow Games were coming and that the Good Duelists would protect us oh please don't hurt me!"

Jimbo heard these words, and grinned. Jackpot. Ramesus would reward him for this news.

"Sorry kid..." He reached out with his hand to banish Arnold's soul... But nothing happened. Apparently, the Shadow Power wasn't strong enough yet. "You're not worth the effort. YET." With that, he turned and walked away from the cringing Arnold.

Watching from behind a bush, Drift clenched his fist. This was bad. This was REALLY bad.

* * *

"Can't banish yet, Boss," said Jimbo.

"A pity," mused Ramesus. "But I suspect you have a reason for that grin on your face."

"Oh yeah," said Jimbo. "They're beginning to recruit anybody they can. To protect them from US."

Ramesus chuckled. "Well then, I suppose the game is on."

* * *

"They know!" yelled Drift as the Good Duelists gathered for a training session.

"Know what?" Nat did her best to calm Drift down.

"Jimbo. He attacked Arnold. Forced him into a Shadow Game. Arnold lost but he's okay."

"So what's the problem?" Magyk didn't understand. "I thought Jimbo not being able to banish would be a good thing."

"Arnold told him that we're recruiting students en masse. That means that now Ramesus will be, too!"

"Then the battle's begun," said LazyMan. "We're running out of time."

'And I'm not much better than Arnold', thought CyberV. 'This isn't bad, it's a disaster. How can I stop Ramesus if a single loss could mean the end of the world?!'

* * *

Jimbo went to his dorm room and set his deck down. Overall, he was disappointed in his Gorilla deck's performance. It should have finished Arnold in a single turn. And failing to banish the little gnat? That wasn't good either.

Jimbo opened a draw and looked inside. He gazed upon the Amulet of Anubis his father had created.

Perhaps it was time to use it... Perhaps...

Next Time: A Challenging Recruitment Mission! Rein In the Uber Otaku Geek!


	11. Rein in the Uber Otaku Geek!

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: CyberV revealed himself to be the consummate Otaku Geek, prone to nearly random pop culture references and sentai posing. The Good Duelists began a mass recruitment effort as a preemptive move against Ramesus, only for Jimbo to uncover the plan. Meanwhile, Ikke is being driven to the edge of reason by the ongoing assault on his megaphones, his resentment against CyberV growing with each new incident.

* * *

Ikke could already feel a blood vessel on his forehead threatening to burst. He'd already seen drowning, flushing, even a pinata party... This topped them all.

Silently, angrily, he stood before a freshly filled grave and newly chiseled headstone that read MegaPhone Of Doom XII, complete with date of death.

That wasn't what annoyed him.

THAT honor belonged both to the Lord of Dragons playing taps on the Flute of Summoning Dragon, and the 21 Barrel Dragon salute being given. He didn't know HOW they'd pulled off this stunt, but he swore they'd pay. All of them.

Especially that pitiful excuse for a chosen Warrior.

"CyberV, this time you've gone too far. YOU'RE GONNA PAY! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!!!"

Watching from a safe distance, CV mock sighed and snapped his fingers. "Aw man, and I didn't get an allowance this week..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 11: A Challenging Recruitment Mission! Rein in the Uber Otaku Geek!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Ikke looked through the student files like a man possessed, which given the nature of the threat they faced, was entirely appropriate. He needed something special to get back at CyberV. Something so heinous that it would shut the fool up once and for all.

After several hours, he paused, his eyes catching something so perfect, so amazingly simple, that he kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner.

"It's time to fight fire... with fire."

* * *

Ashes was confused. "Okay, WHY exactly are we being called to LazyMan's office?"

"Dunno," said Hikari. "Maybe it has something to do with the blatant abuse of Barrel Dragons yesterday? How the heck did you DO that, anyway?!"

"Trade secret," said CV. "The hard part was 'Taps'."

"So, what were you gonna do to him today? Super glue? Run it up the flagpole?" Jay was really getting into the war on the Megaphones.

"Today? I make him sweat. He'll wait for it, and wait for it... And nothing happens."

"And then you do something when he relaxes." Nat could see where this was going.

"I'm thinking honey and a swarm of angry bees."

"OUCH!" Raging Flame Sprite winced. "That's going a bit far, isn't it?"

Rocket Warrior considered that for a moment. "Nope!"

"Good enough for me!" said the Sprite.

Red-Eyes just growled, annoyed with the antics.

They stopped outside the doors to the room where every decision governing their team was ultimately made.

"I hate this place. I hate it SO much..." CV clenched his fists, remembering the look on LazyMan's face when he was confronted about the initiation duel with Mouse. He still couldn't quite believe the lengths LazyMan had taken to insure that there would be a Warrior of the Balance. At times, it almost made him wonder if the team's leader was even on the proper side.

"No point putting it off," said Nat as she opened the door. "Whatever he wants, we do it as a team."

The stepped inside LazyMan's office... But LazyMan wasn't there. Instead, Mouse stood to one side while Ikke was sitting at LazyMan's desk, looking like he was enjoying a bit of power a little too much.

"I TOLD you guys I hated this place," said CV. "I mean, it's invested with vermin."

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Mouse clocked him in the skull.

"OW! I DIDN'T MEAN YOU!" CV rubbed his head.

"...Any chance you could hit him again? Just to be sure." Ikke was enjoying this way too much.

"No." said Mouse, pointedly. "LazyMan's only occupied with training the new recruits temporarily. You're only sitting behind that desk because you're the only other senior member qualified. And I'm ALREADY looking forward to seeing you pulled away from this office."

CyberV considered a crack about Mouse actually having taste, but reconsidered as he felt the growing welt on the back of his skull.

"I suppose," said Ikke, "that you want to know the reason you were summoned here."

"If you choose to accept this mission," said Hikari, "and fail, all knowledge of our existence will be disavowed."

"The messenger will explode in five seconds, if we're all very, very lucky," piped in Jay.

CV wiped a mock tear away. "They learn so fast..."

"Shut up and listen!" Ikke slammed his fist on the desk.

"You break it, you bought it," said Ashes, eliciting a look that could kill from Ikke.

"Anything else you five would like to pull before we begin?"

"Already pulled your leg," said CV. "And I really don't wanna pull your finger."

"Don't look at me," said Nat. "Dumb pranks are their department."

Sighing heavily, and feeling a headache coming on, Ikke sat back in the chair. "Knock it off, all of you. I need you five for a special recruitment mission."

"Isn't recruitment YOUR department?" asked Ashes of Mouse.

"Yes, normally. However, Ikke was... determined to give you this one."

"So this is some kind of revenge... For that thing I never did to you," added CyberV quickly.

"Riiiiiight..." said Ikke, not buying it for a second. "Anyway, Andy's a special case, and his profile makes his recruitment a job you're best suited for."

"Now, when you say SPECIAL..."

* * *

CV rubbed his ears, trying to get them to pop back to normal.

"Ow! I didn't know he could yell that loud without a megaphone."

"Maybe we should stop destroying them, and just have his vocal cords removed." It was hard to tell if Nat was joking or not.

"But then he'd duel in mime. That's too horrible to think about." Ashes shuddered.

"Okay, time to cut the clowning," said Jay as they reached Andy's dormroom. "So, who wants to step into Ikke's sadistic little revenge room first?"

"Pass." Hikari shook her head.

"Forget it." Ashes refused to step inside.

"Not on your life," said Nat.

"I know I'm not," said Jay.

There was a pause.

"D'OH!" CV winced. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door.

"Hello?" said a voice on the other side.

"Ikke sent us. He told us we were expected."

"Oh, right. Hang on." There was a rattling as the student began unlocking his door.

"He sounds normal enough," said Ashes. "Maybe we were wrong."

The door opened, and they were treated to the sight of a slightly overweight guy stuffed into a homemade Power Ranger suit two sizes too small for him. "Welcome to the Command Center, Rangers!"

Sweatdropping, Ashes reconsidered. "Then again..."

"Ummm... Yeah... I see the recruitment standards went a bit lax." CV couldn't believe this. He was an Otaku Geek, but even HE had limits. The lines of that suit were all wrong! He didn't even have the holster on the correct side! "PLEASE tell me Zordon didn't send you."

"Nope! ...But that WOULD have been cool..."

The others were lost, utterly. CV quietly agreed, but this guy was still a bit creepy.

"So, what's this all about? Ikke said it was important." The oddly dressed duelist motioned that they could come on in. No one moved.

"Sorry, it's just that it'd be... a bit crowded in there." In truth, CV was more worried that a guy this obsessed might have turned his bed into a suit of armor. He just REALLY didn't wanna know. "Why don't we walk and talk?"

"Sounds good to me." Andy grinned.

"One thing," said Ashes, quickly, before Andy could leave his dormroom.

"Yes?"

Hikari and Ashes spoke as one: "Change first."

* * *

Wearing his school uniform, but still sporting a toy morpher on his wrist and, CyberV noticed, perversely wearing a Masked Rider belt buckle and a straw hat that looked like it belonged in the manga One Piece, Big Andy, as he liked to be called, walked with the group through the halls.

"Andy," started Jay.

"Big Andy, please."

"Fine. Big Andy. Whatever. Have you heard any of the rumors flying around the school?"

"No. For some reason, people don't talk to me much."

"Wonder why..." muttered Nat under her breath.

"Anyway," said Jay, getting things back on track, "bad things are coming. You've heard that the school has two special groups of students, right?"

"Yeah. Good and Evil. But why would anyone want to be evil? That side always loses!"

"They get the good lines," said CV.

"Oh yeah..."

"AHEM!" Hikari elbowed CV to shut him up.

"Anyway, the Evil side's started talking their name seriously. They stole something. Something dangerous, and they want to revive something called the Shadow Games. The Shadow Games can be just about anything, but they usually result in the loser having their soul removed."

"Woah..." Big Andy was impressed. "This is all for real?"

"Yes," said Jay. "And our job, as members of Good, is to try and protect the student population. Since you're a bit isolated from the rest of the school, we're concerned that you'd be an early target."

"We also want to recruit as many students as possible, to help combat the threat when it does arrive." Nat privately wondered what this guy could contribute other than another bit of cannon fodder.

"Well," said Big Andy, "if you want my help, you've got it. I'll keep my eyes open. What should I watch for?"

"Black duel disks," said Hikari. "Every Evil member has one."

"Got it." He grinned. "You can count on me!" He, bizarrely, saluted, turned on his heel, and went the opposite direction.

Watching him go, CV blinked. "Well, I guess that wasn't SO bad..."

Around a corner, Ikke watched and snickered. This was only the beginning...

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful, save for an incident near midnight when Ikke went screaming through the school, followed by bees. His mood wasn't helped when the school nurse kept, perversely, calling him "Honey". Nothing came of the next two, either, save more training, more classes, and, naturally, an incident involving an attempt to launch a megaphone into orbit. The attempt failed, but the device made an impressive crash on the Academy's roof.

However, the day after that was anything but quiet...

* * *

"All right, class, today we'll be seeing if you've learned anything about proper duel etiquette." Professor Harker adjusted his glasses. Sitting in their seats, many students groaned. They already knew this stuff, but the Academy felt it necessary to teach, given the unfortunate tendency of duelists to cheat on the dueling circuit. The phrase "Curse you Weevil Underwood" was a common one.

It didn't help matters anyway that this was one of several classes that the Good and Evil duelists were forced to spend together.

"All right. I need two volunteers."

CyberV raised his hand. Why not? It wasn't like there'd be any danger in the classroom.

The class groaned. CV was quickly becoming infamous for being a total showoff dork.

"I'm not that bad!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

CV sweatdropped as he reached the floor.

"Now now, settle down. I'm certain he can keep his... theatrics, shall we say... to a MINIMUM?" The way the Professor said it, it wasn't a suggestion.

"yessir..."

"Good good. Now, we need one more." No one raised their hands. "No one. Fine, then I'll choose... You. Michael."

"It's MIKEY," said Mikey of the Evil Duelists as he rose up. "And it'd be my pleasure to shut this twit up once and for all."

* * *

A pair of eyes in the class locked onto the black disk on Mikey's arm. "The time has come." The owner of those eyes quietly slipped from his seat and out the door.

* * *

"Please keep the trash talk for the duels, gentlemen," said Harker. "This exercise is to display proper behavior and honesty."

"Whatever," said Mikey.

"Good luck with that..." muttered CV, knowing full well that Mikey was incapable of behaving himself.

* * *

Outside, he donned his ceremonial uniform and readied himself mentally. This would be his first test... He had to prove himself. He breathed deeply. He was ready.

* * *

"All right, boys," said Harker. "Begin."

"Let's duel," said CV, genuinely not enjoying the fact that Harker had warned him not to show off. It didn't FEEL right without "IT'S DUELIN' TIME!" ringing in the air.

"Yes, let's," said Mikey as his disk extended to play mode.

"Now, class, you can see that they are both in the proper stance for the beginning of a duel. Can anyone tell me how far apart duelists should be before a match begins?"

"Doesn't matter," said Mikey softly. "Because someday, we're gonna-"

"ENERGY DISK!" Out of nowhere, a pizza pan shot in, clocking Mikey in the skull.

CV winced. "Ouch. Hey? Mikey?" Mikey was K.O.ed. "He didn't like that..."

All eyes went towards the exits, where Big Andy stood, very proud of his shot. But what really surprised everyone was the orange karate outfit and the bald cap that did nothing to actually look real.

Big Andy cried with joy. "Goku would be so proud!"

CV sweatdropped, even as he helped the professor make sure Mikey wasn't seriously injured. "Oh, that's just not right..."

The entire class glared at Big Andy. "What? I mean, sure, it wasn't a clean cut, but I actually saved the day for once! WOOHOO!" They got up to grab him. "...And that's my cue to run for it." Andy bolted.

Feeling a headache coming on, CV had a bad feeling that this was going to be a LOOOOOOOONG day.

* * *

"So Mikey's okay?" asked LazyMan as he met with CV outside the infirmary.

"Yeah. But I have a bad feeling Big Andy's just getting started. He bound to strike again any time he sees a black duel disk."

"And who wanted him recruited?"

"Ikke."

"...Oh, he and I are gonna have WORDS..."

"What's the deal with Andy, anyway?"

"He was on our do-not-approach list. His family spent a few years in Japan, and he got a bit too obsessed with that culture. He makes you look downright normal. But right now, that's not important. Keeping him from hurting anyone else or getting hurt's the top priority. You've got to put a stop to this before Ramesus decides to stop him personally. He won't tolerate attacks on his people, and any action on his part will just escalate tensions and the situation. Can you stop him?"

"I'm gonna have to..."

* * *

Hikari was in her element and in a mood as she stared down Dark Shroud. She'd caught the little jerk snooping in her gym bag. Yeah, he'd just wanted to see her ultimate combo again, but, evil or not, he should have asked!

"Privacy's everything to a girl in this day and age, Shroud. Now my Flame Swordsman's going to have to punish you."

Flame Swordsman: 1800/1600

Dark Shroud glared, leering. Yeah, he could see what Poison did in her. It was just too bad she'd already used her Giant Trunade to clear the field of magic. He wanted to see her sweat a little, beg for mercy...

"Make your move," he said. "I'm wide open."

"Gladly," said Hikari. "Flame Swordsman..."

"HOLD IT!" Big Andy's voice rang out, as a red, white, blonde and blue streak got between the two duelists. Hikari couldn't believe this, but Andy was dressed up like Sailor Moon!

"...What...?" Dark Shroud sweatdropped, realizing he was seeing an image that would haunt his every feminine fantasy for years to come.

"In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you! I'm Sailor Moon!" Andy pulled out a replica of the heroine's moon scepter, and without warning, began hitting Shroud over the head repeatedly with it.

"OW! HEY! OW! CUT IT OUT! OW!"

Hikari debated the merits of interfering. Reluctantly, she moved to pull Andy off of Dark Shroud. CV beat her to it, tackling him and knocking him off he battered evil duelist.

"He has to be stopped, before the Negaverse conquers everything!"

"I hate to pull a Mouse..." said CV, "But..." He clocked Andy in the skull. "KNOCK IT OFF!"

There was a pause. "OW! Man, how does she do that without breaking her hand..."

Out of the corner of his eye, CV saw Shroud scrambling away.

"Oh great. Just what we needed..."

"Is he okay?" asked Hikari. "And what was he thinking?!"

"Thinking?" asked Rocket Warrior as he appeared. "Thinking is NOT this bozo's strong suit."

"Guess what? According to LazyMan, he was on our 'avoid at all cost' list."

"...Ikke's in trouble?"

"Ikke's in trouble. And so is this nimrod if we can't get him to behave." They looked at the dazed Andy. This was not gonna be easy.

* * *

"Boss!" said Dark Shroud as he ran into Ramesus' office, nursing a bloody nose and a fat lip. "We've got a problem."

Ramesus motioned towards Mikey, who was holding an icepack to a painful welt on his head.

"Yes, I'm well aware. But you need not concern yourself with petty revenge. A fool such as this will bring about his OWN demise."

* * *

"What is WRONG with you?" demanded LazyMan as he yelled at Ikke. "Big Andy? Are you INSANE?! He'll get himself killed, and everyone else in the process! He's certifiable!"

Ikke shrugged. "I thought he'd be useful. They can't steal souls if they can't get a duel started."

LazyMan raised an eyebrow. "And I'm sure your assigning the Warrior to the task of recruitment was ENTIRELY benevolent."

"Well..."

"Save it," said LazyMan. "We've got damage control to get to. This fiasco's bound to cost us time. Pull something like this again, and you're out. GOT IT?"

Ikke glared at LazyMan for a moment before reluctantly relenting. "...Got it..."

* * *

CV and Hikari sat patiently outside Big Andy's dormroom, bored, half asleep.

"Think he's awake yet?"

"Don't know," said CV, "Don't care. Hikari, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is that how people see me? As a clown with a Japanese obsession?"

"Yes." CV flopped. "But not so bad as to crossdress and beat people up as the characters."

"Yeah, I have my limits. He doesn't."

"That's why people avoid him." The two duelists looked up to see Mokuba joining them. "Since no one ever taught him what was appropriate, he thinks it's okay to do this kind of thing whenever he likes."

"So, how do we stop him?"

"My best guess? Play his game."

CV sweatdropped. "I'm not wearing any dress."

"NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Mokuba sighed. "As long as people approach him normally, he'll just go further into these personas."

"So we should try talking to him on his level?"

"It's worth a shot."

There was a sudden crash as glass shattered. CV and Hikari shot to their feet as Mokuba pushed the door open.

"He's gone!"

CV looked at his closet. "And he's taken another outfit."

"Oh, that can't be good."

CV looked harder. "I was wrong. He took two."

"We'd better find him and fast." Mokuba didn't want to think about what a loon like Andy could do.

"I think I have an idea," said CV. "I'll catch up later." He bolted from the room. He had a feeling he knew where Andy would eventually turn up. He just wondered what would happen in the meantime.

* * *

Hikari and Mokuba began racing through the campus, looking for any sign of Big Andy. A half hour passed with no trace of him... Until they saw the beginnings of an angry mob of students, led by Sonny of the Evil Duelists.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Sonny was livid.

"Big Andy?" asked Mokuba.

"What'd he do?" Hikari wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Well," said Nat as she came out of the crowd, "He apparently dismantled Sonny's Jeep and turned it into a Transformers outfit."

"Hound never looked so dorky," said Jay as he joined her from the mass of students.

"That's not... TOO bad," said Mokuba.

"Then he smacked me with my hubcaps." Sonny was as angry as he could be without hurting someone.

"We'll find him," said Hikari. "He's not right in the head. He needs professional help."

"He'll need a plastic surgeon when I'm done with him," said Sonny as he trudged off.

That was when they heard the shriek. A barely covered pink blur burst from a classroom and down the hall faster than anyone could follow. Carly and Ashes, both flustered, came through the doors, ready to kill Big Andy.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU SICKO!" yelled Ashes.

"Okay," said Hikari. "DEFINITELY don't wanna know."

"That little freak came in, said he was Astro Boy!" It took a lot to get to Carla, but this had done it.

"Except he did it in boots and underwear and nothing else." Ashes was blushing as red as she could.

"I KNEW I didn't wanna know," said Hikari.

"Then his shorts ripped." Both girls, good and evil, shuddered.

"Okay, WAY too much information," said Jay. "Come on, he can't have gotten TOO far. Not like that, anyway." Not waiting for anyone to catch up, the Good Duelists began running after Big Andy, Mokuba keeping pace with them.

"Okay, he's hit Carla, Sonny, Mikey, and Dark Shroud. Who's left?" Ashes was still trying to get the image of Astro Boy out of her head.

"That leaves the big names," said Jay. "Jimbo, Poison, Greekman, and Ramesus."

"OH GOD!"

"Well, scratch Jimbo..." said Jay. They stopped as Jimbo came into view, choking.

"Some freak... Said he was King Muscle. Stink bombs..." He leaned against the wall, choking. The gang sniffed the air. And, as one, wretched.

"Gonna... KILL HIM..." Jimbo sank to his knees.

"Get... in line..." said Hikari, her eyes watering.

* * *

Big Andy, now changed, crept into the dueling arena in the area of the school devoted to the Evil Duelists. Here, he would tackle the Big Three. Even now, he saw Greekman and Poison, ready to be stopped.

"Heard about the freak going around attacking the others?" Greekman wasn't amused by the goings on.

"He's either brave to moon Carly, or stupid." Poison couldn't believe the insanity this day had wrought.

"I swear, if he shows up here, I'm gonna..."

"LET IT RIP!!!" Big Andy, dressed as Tyson from Beyblade, leapt from the shadows and fired his Beyblade launcher.

The blade pitifully landed on the ground and spun for a few seconds.

"Oh come on, Dragoon! Don't give up on me now!"

The top laid there, defiant.

"...This is so much cooler on television..." complained Big Andy.

"GET HIM!" Poison and Greekman started after Andy, who wisely turned and ran for dear life. Unfortunately, he didn't run quite fast enough, as Greekman grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to the ground.

"I call dibs on his face," said Poison. "NO ONE attacks my team and gets away with it."

Greekman slammed Andy into the corridor wall as Poison raised his fist.

Which was when a soccer ball slammed into the wall inches from them.

"That's just about enough, Gentlemen," said CyberV as he came into view, carrying another soccer ball. However, instead of his normal school uniform, he wore a blue casual suit and a red bowtie. "The game is up."

"J-Jimmy Kudo?!" Big Andy couldn't believe it. The greatest teen detective in the world!

Poison turned away from Big Andy and stomped over to CyberV.

"Okay," he said in a harsh whisper, "what the heck are you doing here?"

"Keeping you from harming a mentally ill man. Just play along, and you'll never have to deal with him again."

"I can already handle that."

"He'll just shrug off the abuse and try again. Violence won't do anything. Leave him to me."

Poison glanced at Big Andy, who, despite being held against the wall, was trying to load his Beyblade launcher for another "attack". "You've got one chance. Then he's ours." Poison turned away from CV and whispered to Greekman, who, reluctantly, stepped away from Big Andy, who, wisely, put the launcher down.

"The building is surrounded, gentlemen. There's no escape from the long arms of the law this time."

"We'll see," said Poison, reluctant to play along. "Come on," he said, motioning for Greekman to follow.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"Getting rid of the pest without getting us expelled, that's what. Let that dork play out his little game."

"You'd better be right, Poison..."

Big Andy rubbed his head. "But how'd you find me?"

"You should know. It's because of you that I'm cured. You kept the Black Organization so busy that I was able to sneak into their headquarters and find the antidote for the poison that shrunk me. Now they're going away for a long time."

"I'm... glad I could help."

"Come on. Inspector Macguire's going to need a statement from you." Big Andy nodded. In the distance, Greekman and Poison watched, absolutely dumbfounded. Once they were out of audible range, CV changed tactics slightly. "You did great, but some of the organization may escape and come back someday. Now, my friends and I can handle them for the most part, but we may need you eventually. When that time comes, I'll contact you, okay?"

"You can count on me, Detective Kudo!" Big Andy saluted.

"Great. Consider yourself an honorary member of the Junior Detective League." CV held out a homemade badge and gave it to Big Andy. "Remember, don't make a move against them without hearing from me."

"I won't."

"Good. Now let's get out of here in case the men in black coats come back." Gingerly, CV led Big Andy away.

Ramesus watched them leave from a distance.

"I told you things would be handled without my interference, gentlemen," he said as various team members emerged. "Perhaps now we can return to matters of ACTUAL importance." He turned his back to the departing duo and walked back towards his office.

* * *

"So after you got Big Andy out of there, what happened?" Ashes was a bit lost. "I mean, we were too busy cooling down the angry mobs to pay attention."

"LazyMan and Drift found us a bit after that, and arranged for Andy to get some seriously needed counciling." CV, still in his Kudo disguise, sat in a chair, exhausted from the ordeal. "He'll be back, eventually, and hopefully better adjusted to the real world. As it is, when things go south, we'll have a completely insane secret weapon."

"Why do I get the feeling that's not the entire story?" Nat didn't quite believe what CV was telling them.

"Well, we did make one stop before Lazy and Drift found us..."

* * *

Ikke, despite being dressed down by LazyMan, was in a particularly good mood. Evil had been run ragged, CyberV and his friends were too busy to cause him any grief, and now one of the school freaks would be gone for a long time.

He went towards his supply closer to get a replacement megaphone. And his eyes went wide. He felt his eye twitch as well. Everywhere were the littered, trashed remains of hair dryers and megaphones. A large sledgehammer laid there in the middle of the room with a note. Trembling, he picked it up.

_"Dear Ikke. It took a while, but I convinced Andy that he couldn't make the Power Rangers weapon Storm Striker with real megaphones. Sorry about the mess. You know who."

* * *

_

"All in all, I'd call this a good day," said CV, grinning.

* * *

Ikke crumpled the note in his hand. Eyes burning with hatred, he made a solemn vow.

"I swear, if it's the last thing I do... I'm going to make you wish you were never born! CYBERV, THIS TIME, YOU'RE MINE!"

The megaphone war was finally on. And only one of them was going to walk away.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Ikke's Rage! The Flames of Resentment Ignite!


	12. The Fires of Resentment Ignite!

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: CyberV acted strangely during several incidents, as though he was another person entirely. LazyMan realized that the Good Duelists needed to locate the Scepter of the Balance as soon as possible. Ikke took an immediate dislike to CyberV, the chosen Warrior of the Balance, showing his attitude problems by tearing apart Allis, a potential recruit, in an initiation duel both through play, and through words. Ikke was assigned to assist in the training of the Good Duelists in preparation for the coming battle against the Shadows. He took things too far, and the resulting resentment gave way to a systematic, humorous assault on his megaphone. In retaliation for the pranks, Ikke assigned CV and his friends to recruit Big Andy, a duelist on LazyMan's banned list. The resulting chaos resulted only in speeding up the timetables of both sides, getting Ikke a dressing down, and an escalation in the pranks. But Ikke is far from finished with CV and the others...

* * *

CyberV and LazyMan watched as Big Andy headed towards the car Mokuba had arranged. It would take the... unique duelist to a therapy center where he could hopefully get some MUCH needed help.

"Take care, my friends!" said Big Andy. "I'll be back before you know it."

"That's what we're afraid of..." muttered LazyMan.

"And when I get back, I'll take it to Ramesus for you, because..." Big Andy, before either Duelist could stop him, ripped his uniform away to reveal a pink catgirl costume that CV recognized as Zoe from Tokyo Mew Mew. "Mew Mew style, Mew Mew grace! Mew mew power-"

CV shoved Andy into the car.

"Shut your face." He slammed the door shut. "Go. Before he brings Astro Boy back." The driver nodded and took off.

"Glad that's over with," said LazyMan. "And now, I think it's time we started searching for the Scepter again."

"Yeah," said CV, yawning. "I just wish duel training wasn't tomorrow. Ikke's bound to be in a foul mood."

"...He's ALWAYS like that."

"Joy..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 12: Ikke's Rage! The Fires of Resentment Ignite!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Ikke

* * *

Ikke looked at the schedules for the duel training tomorrow with keen interest. Mouse watched, concerned.

"You're going too far, Ikke," she said. "You could have gotten Andy seriously hurt with that stunt."

"He's fine. And I've still got that wannabe to deal with."

"No, you don't," said Mouse. "CyberV may be a bit of a goofball, but, as much as I hate saying it, he's all we've got once the shadow games return. All you're doing is making it easier for Ramesus to win, and I won't be a party to it."

"Then leave," said Ikke, curtly. "That little punk is all mine tomorrow."

Mouse looked at Ikke, concerned. "This isn't the way," she said as she turned to leave. "I just hope you realize that in time."

Ikke didn't watch her go, but continued his work editing the duel schedule.

* * *

Outside, Mouse exchanged looks with Drift, who was equally concerned.

"His obsession has clouded his judgement," said Mouse. "He's going to do something we'll all regret."

"We'd better be ready to step in then," said Drift. "I just wish I knew why he was on our team instead of Ramesus's. You'd think he'd be more comfortable there..."

* * *

Driving down a lonely road, LazyMan turned towards CyberV, who, eyes closed, was concentrating, trying to pick up on any link he had to the Scepter.

"Anything?"

"No... Nothing. We've been at this for a while now, and I just don't think I was around it long enough to get a connection going."

That in itself was odd. Every Item had a special link with the one who was chosen to wield it. And even without it, there were scattered instances of CV behaving strangely. The warehouse, the duel with Hikari... Times where he just wasn't himself.

LazyMan knew that CV wasn't crazy... Well, not Big Andy crazy, anyway. So what was the story with these personality shifts? How was he tapping into the Shadow Power without contact with his Item?

There were many questions, and no apparent answers forthcoming.

"We've been at this for hours now," said LazyMan. "I think we should pack it in for tonight."

"Not... Not yet... I want to keep trying a little longer."

"Your call..."

* * *

Ikke leaned forward in his seat, exhausted but elated. Tomorrow, he would have his revenge on the upstart that claimed his rightful title. Then, everyone would see that they were mistaken, that HE was the true Warrior of the Balance.

Only then could he achieve his one true goal...

* * *

The Past...

Ikke and his sister Fatima watched as their father, Lord Khamed, granted an audience with the strange American that had petitioned him for a meeting for several months. His name was Maximilian Pegasus, and even in this country, he was famous for his creation of Duel Monsters... Rather, here, he was known as the man who revived the ancient game of the Pharaoh, from whom their family claimed it's ancestry.

"I thank you for allowing me this audience, your highness," said Pegasus, in a tone that said he'd probably have gone ahead with his research of the Shadow Games even without permission.

"It was not an easy decision," said Khamed. "Your use of the Millennium Eye has made you infamous in these lands."

"Ah, but I no longer possess the Eye, nor any other Item. I am merely a researcher of the Shadow Games now, to further improve upon my game."

"So it is said. You believe that artifacts pertaining to your studies will be found here?"

"It is my sincerest hope."

Kahmed considered that. "Very well, but you are to take nothing from the tombs save photographs and recordings."

"Of course," said Pegasus bowing. "If I may be so bold, your Highness, I will require a guide."

Fatima considered this strange one-eyed man. There was a strange, captivating mix of arrogance and sadness in his voice. He was undoubtedly a man of great power, but also of tragedy. "Father?" She spoke without realizing what she was doing. She stepped into view. "I can guide him."

"Fatima, you may be my daughter, bu you speak out of turn. And tell your fool brother to show himself. He skulks like a blind thief."

Reluctantly, Ikke stepped into view. "Sorry, Father."

"Normally, I would punish you for your impertinence, but I cannot waste manpower on something this trivial. You may escort him. BOTH of you. But behave yourselves."

"Yes, Father."

"Now go." He dismissed Pegasus and his children with a casual wave. Pegasus turned to meet his guides, and was instantly stunned by what he saw.

"...Ce-Cecelia..." The girl, Fatima, was the very image of his long lost wife. What was this? Some cruel trick of fate? Or was it... Destiny?

* * *

Khamed watched his fool children leave with the American. Neither was suited to rule. Fatima was a female, and thus inferior. And Ikke, for all his promise, was ultimately a pale reflection of his true potential.

"Ahmed?" His attendant stepped forward.

"Yes, your highness?" Ahmed, his most loyal subject, bowed before his master.

"You are aware of the legend of the Warrior, are you not?"

"Yes," he said with fealty. "In time, the one called the Warrior of the Balance would come to challenge the leadership of our people. But why ask of this legend?"

"Because," said Lord Khamed, "the Warrior's destiny is intricately entwined with the ancient ways. Monitor this Pegasus. If he finds anything pertaining to the Warrior or the Shadow Games, eliminate him."

"And what of Fatima and Ikke?"

"If they attempt to interfere... Well, I can always have more children..."

* * *

"Amazing," said Pegasus, awed. "So, you're telling me that there's a legend about another Millennium Item? I know about the primary seven and the Pyramid of Light, but nothing in my research indicated that there would be another chosen champion besides the spirit of the Puzzle."

"It's true," said Ikke. "It's been a closely guarded secret for ages. You're the first outsider to hear the legend in over 3000 years."

"I'll guard it with my life," said Pegasus. "You believe that the key to finding the Warrior is somewhere in the catacombs?"

"We know it must," said Fatima, "But no one has ever been able to breach the defenses within to learn the truth. It is said that only one versed in Shadow Magic can pierce the heart of the ancient temple."

"Well then," said Pegasus, "we'll just have to see if it's true, won't we?"

* * *

As the siblings guided Pegasus through the ruins, Ikke could not help but notice the way his sister and the American looked at each other. His sister looked absolutely enthralled, and the American seemed lost for words when he looked into her eyes. He instinctively knew that their father would disapprove. Then again, when DIDN'T father disapprove? Ikke knew his father was not a good man. He'd changed after his wife, their mother, died giving birth to him. He'd once been a kind ruler, but now, hardly a week went by where someone wasn't executed for the most petty of grievances. Where he had once revered life, now his father found pleasure only in taking it, and in the trappings of power.

Weeks passed with little progress. The only thing that changed was the growing relationship between Pegasus and Fatima, as well as a bond of respect between Ikke and the American, who did all he could to teach Ikke about the Duel Monsters game. Every day, Ikke became more amazed at the complexity and subtlety of the game, how it had infinite strategy.

Then, after a month, Pegasus found what he was looking for.

* * *

"Amazing, isn't it?" He looked upon a stone tablet with strange carvings upon it. A man wearing Egyptian armor and wielding a strange kind of wand, imposed upon symbols Pegasus recognized to be light and dark. "I've seen similar tablets before, but nothing quite like this."

"It's the Warrior..." said Ikke, amazed. "The one that will come to our land and challenge our leader. But... What does this mean?"

"Considering what happened after the first tablets were discovered," said Pegasus, "I'd guess that your father's headed for disaster."

"I was afraid you'd say that," said Ahmed as he stepped from the shadows.

"AHMED!" exclaimed Ikke. "You came to see the ruins?"

"I only wish," said the servant. "Your father has ordered your deaths in the event you discovered an artifact such as this."

"What?!" Pegasus didn't like the sound of that.

"No, it can't be..." Fatima was horrified.

"It is," said Ahmed. "You must escape before the guards arrive to carry out their task. Leave and never return... Anything else would be disastrous."

"I won't run from father," said Ikke. "If our land needs a Warrior, I'll be the Warrior."

"You can't know that you'll be the one," said Pegasus. "I can have a helicopter here in minutes. We can leave together!"

"No," said Ikke. "I have to try to stop Father. It's the only way."

Reluctantly, Pegasus relented. "Very well."

"But take Fatima. I will rest easier knowing she is safe with the one she loves."

"Brother, no!"

"Yes, Fatima. Father would send you to your doom without a second thought for looking at the American the way you have. I may survive, but you would not."

"I won't leave you!"

"He's right," said Pegasus as he grabbed Fatima's hand. "Come on!"

The four ran for the entrance, where Pegasus signaled for an emergency pickup. The chopper arrived even faster than Pegasus thought it would, but he could already see soldiers in the distance, obviously tipped off by the vehicle.

"You can still change your mind," he said as he helped Fatima aboard.

"No, I cannot. It must be my destiny to stop Father. Whatever our fates, Ahmed and I face them together."

"Brother..." said Fatima. "Please... Please don't die."

"I won't. Be free, Sister."

Ikke watched as the chopper took off, moments before the soldiers arrived. Ikke and Ahmed did not resist as they were placed in irons. They showed no fear when placed before lord Khamed.

"My own son and loyal subject betray me. Shameful." He looked upon them with disgust. "My daughter abandons her family and her country for a rich American infidel. She will pay one day as well."

"Face me, Father, in a duel." Ikke held up his deck. "I shall become the Warrior and stop your tyranny!"

Khamed laughed. "You are no warrior. You are a mewling joke, a blight upon our family. And now, learn the price of your folly. Headsman!"

A large man stepped forward, wearing the mask of an Executioner. He had an exceptionally large axe, and moved towards Ahmed.

"AHMED!" THUNK! "AHMED NO!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

Ikke knew nothing of the passage of time within his tiny cell, deep within the palace dungeon. He only saw Ahmed's dying moments in his mind's eye whenever he dared to sleep and dream. His deck lay by his side, mocking his impotence. It could have been weeks, or even months, before he saw anyone besides a guard delivering food and water.

But one day, a man came. Ikke never learned how he infiltrated the palace, but the robed minions were effective in taking out the guards and reaching his cell. Their leader, upon reaching Ikke's cell, removed his hood to reveal Egyptian features and blonde hair.

"You are the one called Ikke? The tyrant's son?"

"That man is no longer my father," said Ikke. "Who are you?"

"My name is Marik, and I have come to deliver you from this place. I know of an Academy, one that will teach you more of the Warrior, and more about Dueling than you could imagine. Perhaps there, you will find what you need to save your people."

Ikke needed to hear nothing more. "Then let's go."

* * *

Present Day...

Ikke opened his eyes. Ever since the one called Marik had rescued him, he had trained to become the Warrior, but the Scepter never reacted to his touch. Never answered his request for help. But still, he tried, because only he could stop his father and avenge his sister and Ahmed.

And then HE came along, the untrained fool of a rookie, possessing no experience... With the unmitigated gall to steal away the title Ikke so desperately needed to defeat his father. Yes, he hated CyberV almost as much as he hated his father. He had no right to be the Warrior.

And tomorrow, he would prove it.

* * *

"Okay!" said CyberV. "It's time to end this duel! I play the trap card Judgment of Anubis!" The card rose up, and his opponent, Koby, groaned.

"Yeah, you know what happens now! First, I discard one card from my hand to negate your trap!" The trap, Mirror Force, shattered. "And that means that my attack gets through to you!" Rocket Warrior's blazing attack shattered Koby's Swordsman of Landstar. "But that's not all! Now I can choose one monster on your field, destroy it, and deal the damage straight to you!" Koby's Goblin Attack Force shattered, and his life points hit zero.

"Man, I shoulda seen that coming," said Koby. "You're not as bad as they say."

CV sweatdropped. "Ummm... Thanks. I think..."

"Man," said Rocket Warrior. "How long have we been at this now? Four hours? When are we getting a break?!"

'I wish I knew...' thought CV, knowing full well what was going on. He'd seen the look on Ikke's face when training had started. He was out for blood, and CV had no intention of giving it to him.

* * *

Three hours later...

"RED-EYES DARKNESS DRAGON! ATTACK WITH INFERNAL FIRE BLAST!" The Darkness Dragon released a torrent of flames, hitting a duelist calling himself Sly dead on, and with almost every one of his dragons in the graveyard, Sly didn't look all that smooth to him.

"This is getting out of hand," said CV, exhausted.

Red-Eyes growled in agreement. Both Duelist and Spirit looked at Ikke, who hosted a gleam in his eye that said his trap was set.

* * *

Another three hours later...

CV yawned, rubbing his eyes. Ten straight hours of dueling was overkill by anyone's standards.

"Jinzo... Mobius? Let's get it done so I can go to bed, okay?" The monsters, perversely, shrugged and attacked together, shattering the last of their latest opponent's defenses. CV couldn't even remember the guy's name. He was thinking about his pillow and the backs of his eyelids. His Spirits were ALREADY asleep, and he hadn't even been aware that spirits COULD get tired.

"Isn't this a bit much?" asked Allis, looking at Ikke with a mixture of concern and disgust.

"Did I say you could talk to me?" Ikke brushed her off. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for some sweet payback."

CV turned to leave the room, but Ikke brought up the megaphone. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! I didn't say you could leave."

"No. You didn't." CV kept walking.

"GET BACK HERE!" yelled Ikke, annoyed at the lack of respect.

"Say 'please'."

Ikke growled. CV turned. "Close enough." He looked Ikke in the eyes, not really caring about decorum at this point.

"You're not going anywhere until you've dueled me," said Ikke. "I aim to prove, once and for all, that you're not the Warrior, and that I am."

"So to do that, you exhaust me to the point that I'm asleep on my feet. Yeah. You're real brave. Good night." CV turned to leave again.

"CUT THAT OUT!"

"No, I don't think so," said CV. "See, I'm a bit tired of you and your little hate parade. I'm not here to be your little dartboard target. I'm here to protect the world, even if I don't like it. Your ego? NOT high on my list of things to save. It's somewhere down near the bottom, under toejam and Disco."

"You're not leaving until I prove I'm the superior duelist, so shut up and prepare to lose."

"Fine, fine. Whatever." CV extended his disk back to play mode. "Okay, I give up. You win." Ikke flopped.

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU OFF THE HOOK THAT EASILY!"

"You know, screaming like that'll hurt your eardrums."

"Just draw your cards already..." Ikke drew six cards. CV drew five.

CyberV: 8000

Ikke: 8000

"And I'll start with the spell card Two Man Cell Battle!" The card appeared. "Now during each of our end phases, we can summon a normal monster of level 4 or lower from our hand to the field each turn. And that leads to my second spell card, Non-Spellcasting Area." The card appeared next to the first. "Now normal face up monsters are unaffected by any other spell." Ikke picked a monster from his hand. "A normal monster like Gemini Elf!" Two elf girls appeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"And I end my turn, which lets me summon Luster Dragon!" A shining dragon, one CV himself carried in his own deck, appeared.

Luster Dragon: 1900/1600

There was a pause.

"ZZZZZZZZZ..." CV had fallen asleep standing up.

"WAKE UP AND DUEL ME, YOU IDIOT!"

CV awoke with a start. "Aw man, and I thought that was just an annoying dream. I guess I'll play a monster facedown." A card appeared. "And I'll add Graceful Charity. It lets me draw three new cards as long as I send two from my hand to the graveyard." CV yawned. "Can I give up and go to bed now?"

"No."

"Of course. I'll put two cards facedown, and activate the spell card Wave-Motion Cannon. For each of my standby phases this is on the field, it gains 1000 attack points. When I remove it from my field, it's points will be dealt directly to your life points as damage." The two cards appeared, followed by the cannon.

"Fine. Now that your turn is ending," said Ikke, "I can summon 7-Colored Fish!" A fish appeared.

7-Colored Fish: 1800/800

"And now I draw," said Ikke.

"And that activates my traps," said CV, with no excitement whatsoever. He was far more interested in his comforter than beating Ikke. "Bad Reaction to Simochi and Eye of Truth. You know what they do, so I'm not gonna explain it."

"Take this duel seriously right now, or I promise you I'm gonna come over there and-"

"Go ahead," said CV as he sat down, resting his head in his hands. "Touch me and you forfeit. Then I get some sleep. Idiot." CV flashed a mocking grin, then yawned.

"Why won't Ikke stop it?" asked Allis. "It's obvious CyberV doesn't want to duel with him right now."

"It's complicated," said the just arrived Drift. "Ikke's biggest weakness has always been his sense of self-importance. CV undercut it by taking the role of Warrior, something Ikke coveted to save his people from his father's cruel reign. What he doesn't understand is that CV has a quality that he doesn't, and that makes all the difference in the end."

"A quality?"

"WE'RE HERE!" said Ashes as she ran in, followed by the rest of the gang. "Mouse told us what was going on, and we're here for you."

CV yawned. "You don't need to yell. People are trying to sleep over here."

"IT'S JUST YOU!" yelled Ikke.

"Man, Ikke must want that title badly," said Jay. "This is a bit extreme, even for him. It's one thing to scream at us all day, but to exhaust someone before dueling them? That's just low."

"Hey, I recognize that strategy," said Hikari.

"You should. You once demolished it," said Mouse. "It's his life point drain. He uses Bad Reaction to reverse any effect that would increase Ikke's life points, and combines it with the Eye of Truth, so he can see Ikke's hand and take 1000 life points each time Ikke has a spell in hand during his standby phase."

CV raised an eyebrow. "This exposition brought to you by Mouse, cracking my skull open for over two months now."

"FOCUS!" yelled Ikke. "FOCUS, BLAST IT!" He revealed his card, Great Maju Garzett. "Nice try, but my only card is a monster, one I'm bringing out right now, by sacrificing Luster Dragon!" Luster Dragon vanished, and Great Maju Garzett appeared. "And his attack points are double that of the creature sacrificed to summon him!"

Great Maju Garzett: 3800/0

"And now, I'll attack your defense monster! 7 Colored Fish! Attack with rainbow splash!" The fish darted forward, and colored water struck the card, revealing Giant Rat, who shattered.

"Thanks," said CV, not meaning it. "Now Giant Rat's ability lets me summon an Earth monster from my deck with 1500 or fewer attack points. Blah blah blah..." He waved his hand dismissively. "Gyaku-Gire Panda will do, I guess." CV started to doze off, but shook it off, reluctantly. Gyaku-Gire Panda appeared.

Gyaku-Gire Panda: 800/1600

"And he... (YAWN) gains 500 for every monster on your field."

Gyaku-Gire Panda: 800/1600 + 1500/0 2300/1600

"He'll still fall before Great Maju Garzett!" The giant monster struck, and the Panda shattered.

CyberV: 6500

Ikke: 8000

"And I'll follow up with a direct attack with Gemini Elf!" The elves leapt forward to attack CyberV, but he dosed off again, leaning forward, and letting the holograms miss him completely, crashing into the wall behind him. He still lost life points, but Ikke was livid.

CyberV: 4600

Ikke: 8000

"STOP DOING THAT!"

CV shot up, startled. "Wha? Huh? Oh, you again? Put a lid on it, will ya?" He stretched. "A monster facedown, and two cards as well." Three cards appeared.

"My turn," said Ikke. "And I just drew Indominitable Fighter Lei. And I'll summon him now!" The fighter appeared.

Indominitable Fighter Lei: 2300/0

"NOW DESTROY HIS MONSTER!" Fighter Lei blazed towards the facedown monster, which appeared... A completely asleep Rocket Warrior, curled up with a teddy bear, a nightcap, and, for some reason, a picture of Raging Flame Sprite.

"Huh?" mumbled Rocket Warrior, just as Lei struck him, shattering the hologram. A furious duel spirit appeared next to CV, still in nightcap. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"

"Blame the killjoy," said CV, who gave Rocket Warrior a bemused look. "A teddy bear?"

"What? Lots of guys have teddy bears."

"...Nevermind."

"If you're done talking to yourself," said Ikke, "GREAT MAJU GARZETT WANTS TO SAY HELLO!" Garzett charged forward.

Blithely, CV tapped a button on his Disk, and chains enslaved the mighty beast. "Shadow Spell. He can't move, or change positions. He loses 700 attack. Can I go NOW?"

Great Maju Garzett: 3800/0 -700/0 3100/0

"NO! FISH! ELF! GO!"

"Scapegoat." CV tapped another button, and four sheep tokens appeared. The attacking monsters nailed two. "And now it's my turn. Yippie yahoo." He twirled his finger in a monotone parody of joy. "I'll sacrifice two of your monsters." Lei and Elf shattered. "And you get Lava Golem." Lava Golem appeared behind Ikke, who found himself in a nasty cage.

Lava Golem: 3000/2500

"Yeah, I can't summon anything for myself this turn, but I don't care. He'll end this quickly so I can go to bed. And he'll cost you 1000 points during your standby phases. Again, don't give a dang." CV stood up. "Now hurry up and end this stupid farce. I'm tired of seeing what a first class dipwad you are."

The lava flowed up into the cage, and Ikke bit back a curse, feeling the burning heat.

CyberV: 4600

Ikke: 7000

"Why would he do that?" asked Hikari. "He should have sacrificed Garzett."

"He doesn't care," said Jay. "He's not in top form, so he thinks the duel is meaningless. Ikke arranged an unfair contest, so he's doing everything he can to rob Ikke of any glory he was expecting. CV WANTS to lose the duel. Not to throw it, but because he won't give Ikke the satisfaction of beating him on his own."

"And he's taking Ikke's dignity with it," said Nat. "I'd call that a fair trade-off."

"Is it?" asked Mouse, remembering the duel she was forced to throw. She wondered if CV was even thinking about that incident now, even though the situation was wildly different. Nothing was at stake here, save one fool's fragile ego. At this point, regardless of the outcome, CyberV had already won, by making Ikke show his true nature.

"I summon La-Jinn the Mystical Genie!" La-Jinn appeared.

La-Jinn the Mystical Genie: 1800/1000

"Wait, how the heck is Ikke getting that run of monsters?"

"Stacked his deck."

"Totally stacked his deck."

"Didn't shuffle."

"I thought so." Ashes shook her head in disbelief.

"GO AND DESTROY THOSE TOKENS!" La-Jinn and Fish attacked, and the Scapegoats were finished. CV didn't notice. "AND LAVA GOLEM, ATTACK DIRECTLY WITH VOLCANO CRUSH PUNCH!" Lava Golem moved to punch CV, who completely ignored the hologram as it punched through him.

CyberV: 1600

Ikke: 7000

"Are you SURE I can't go yet?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"So I can go?"

"NO!"

"But you said-"

"STOP THAT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

"...Have you considered de-caf?" CV drew, reluctantly. "Pot of Greed." He drew two more cards. "Oh good, Dark Hole. Now your most powerful monsters are gone, but the normal ones remain thanks to the Area spell." Lava Golem, Great Maju Garzett, and the Shadow Spell trap shattered. "And I'll add Upstart Goblin. I draw one card, and thanks to Bad Reaction, you lose life points."

CyberV: 1600

Ikke: 6000

"And I'll play that card now, so we can get this over with." CyberV held it up.

Ikke couldn't believe it. "MONSTER REBORN?!"

"Yep. And I'll bring back a monster Graceful Charity got me to discard. Gilford the Lightning." Gilford rose up, ready to fight.

Gilford the Lightning: 2800/1400

"Now, I'm fairly sure that's a trap you've got facedown," said CV, referring to a card on Ikke's field since the start of the duel. "And since I don't really care about this duel..." CV stood up, stretched again, and turned his Disk off. "I'd declare an attack, you'd activate it, I'd lose, blah blah blah. Good night." He turned to leave again.

"You refuse to give me my due?!"

"Pretty much."

"How... How DARE you..."

"Ikke, I KNOW about your father." THAT got Ikke's attention. "LazyMan told me last night. "I know about Fatima, Pegasus, and Ahmed. And what's more, I can tell you exactly why you will NEVER be the Warrior." His back still turned, CV could feel Ikke's mounting rage.

"Get ready," said Drift to Mouse. "He's about to blow."

"I know."

"You see, the Warrior must strive to maintain a balance, to both punish the guilty and protect the innocent. You've illustrated nothing for the past ten hours but hatred, bile, and viciousness. It's a perfect example of what you lack. Compassion. You lost the ability to care and love the day your sister escaped and Ahmed died. You have only rage in your heart."

"What's your point?" Ikke was barely containing his anger now.

"The Warrior fights for justice. All you want is REVENGE. THAT'S what you lack, Ikke. Balance." CV brushed Ikke off and started walking away. "I'm going to bed. You want to duel me for real, lose the chip on your shoulder and face me fairly. Until then, you're just another annoyance."

Ikke watched as CyberV headed towards the exit. How dare he... How DARE he treat his past so callously!?! How DARE pass judgement on the rightful savior of his people?! HOW DARE HE DISMISS HIM JUST LIKE THAT?!?!

Furious, Ikke grabbed his Megaphone and threw it, with all his strength, at CyberV's head.

"IKKE, DON'T!" Allis yelled, but she was too late.

"GO!" said Drift, but Mouse was already on it. CyberV didn't even turn as the megaphone came at him. But he heard the crash as Mouse's hand swatted it aside, sending it careening into the wall where it shattered.

"Thanks," said CV, turning to give her a thumbs up.

"I did it for the good of the team," said Mouse. "I think you're annoying, too."

"My plan (yawn) is working then..."

Ikke was livid, seeing red. "WHY DID YOU PROTECT HIM!? HE'S A JOKE! A PATHETIC RANK AMATEUR!"

"And you're completely out of line," said Drift as he got between Mouse and Ikke. "You could have seriously hurt someone just now. Or don't you care about anyone but yourself?"

"Move aside," said Ikke. "He's mine."

"I can't do that, Ikke." Drift strapped his Duel Disk on. "In fact, I can't let you leave this room yet. Your behavior and actions are inexcusable and detrimental to the team. I challenge you for the role of second in command of the Good Duelists!"

"Can he do that?" asked Hikari.

"He just did," said Nat.

"Oh," said CV, sitting against a wall. "This oughtta be GOOD..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Drift Takes a Stand! Challenge the Undefeated Record!


	13. Challenge the Undefeated Record!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ikke's resentment over not being selected to be the Warrior was amplified by a series of megaphone based pranks. It was soon revealed Ikke's reasons for needing the title, and his need to become the Warrior to avenge a friend killed by his own father. However, failing to realize that the Warrior is not a tool of vengeance, Ikke took his frustrations on CyberV, first exhausting the young duelist, then forcing him into a duel CV refused to take part in. Ikke's attempt to humiliate CV failed, and when his anger boiled over, Mouse stepped in, while Drift challenged Ikke for the role of second in command.

* * *

"Get out of my way," said Ikke. "NOW."

"Not a chance," said Drift. "You're out of control, and someone's gonna get hurt."

"Yeah. You, if you don't move, and him if you do."

"I get the feeling he's not happy with me," said a tired CV, sitting with his back to a wall.

"Would YOU be, if you were him?" Mouse wasn't liking this situation. Ikke was bad enough when he'd been driven into nearly fanatical desire to be the Warrior, all because of his father's insane acts of cruelty. Now, a (mostly) harmless series of pranks had pushed him to dangerous extremes.

"No, guess not." CV shrugged. "But he seriously needs to grow a sense of humor."

"GRRRR..." The look Mouse gave him woke him up completely.

"Shutting up now..."

"For the last time, step aside or get run down." Ikke was in no mood for interference from a glorified messenger boy.

"Not happening," said Drift. "Now answer my challenge, or lose your position on the team."

Ikke stopped. "You genuinely think you can beat me? I've got a spotless record. I've never lost a duel, not ever."

"His mind, on the other hand..." said Rocket Warrior.

"Someone has to, for your own good." Drift extended his disk to play mode. "SO LET'S DO IT! MAKE YOUR MOVE!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 13: Drift Steps Up! Challenge the Undefeated Record!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Ikke, and Drift07

* * *

Ikke: 8000

Drift: 8000

"This is one duel you're gonna live to regret," said Ikke as he extended his disk back to play mode.

"Less talk, more drawing." They each drew their hands. Ikke drew a sixth.

"Okay then, maybe THIS will convince you that you're making a grave mistake! I summon Sangan!" Sangan, a furry demon, appeared.

Sangan: 1000/600

"And I'll add the magic of Two-Man Cell Battle."

"Told you he didn't shuffle..." muttered Nat.

"OF COURSE I SHUFFLED!" yelled Ikke before continuing. "This card lets either of us summon normal monsters with four stars or less during each of our end phases."

Drift nodded. "Are you SURE you shuffled your deck?"

"YES!"

"Just checking..."

"In any case, I'll end my turn, which lets me summon Mad Dog of Darkness." The vicious hound appeared.

Mad Dog of Darkness: 1900/1400

"Cool dog," said Drift. "I think I'll take it! I play Snatch Steal!" A card appeared and rose up. "Now, during each of your standby phases that this card is on the field, you gain 1000 life points, but I get your monster!" Mad Dog vanished from Ikke's field and reappeared on Drift's.

"You'll thank me later," said Drift. "I mean, the way you've been ranting and raving? I think the LAST thing you want right now is Mad Dog on your roster."

Ikke glared at him.

"Anyway, I play the spell Smashing Ground!" Another card appeared. "This destroys the monster with the highest defense on your side of the field, and since you only have one..." A giant fist appeared and shattered Sangan.

"Feh. All that did was activate his special ability! Now I can search my deck for a dark monster with 1500 or fewer attack points." Ikke began searching his deck.

"Make sure to shuffle this time."

"I ALWAYS SHUFFLE!" He shuffled and replaced his deck.

"Now I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in attack mode!" A warrior woman appeared, ready for battle.

D.D. Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"And now it's time to begin smacking some sense into you! D.D. WARRIOR LADY, ATTACK WITH ARM BLADE SLASH!" The Lady leapt forward, slashing Ikke.

"Just... a scratch."

Ikke: 6500

Drift: 8000

"Well, we might as well add some bite marks then. SIC 'IM, BOY!" Mad Dog bounded forward and bit Ikke's arm.

Ikke: 4600

Drift: 8000

"We'll have to check him for rabies later," muttered Jay.

"I volunteer to put him down if he's infected," said Ashes.

"Awww... I wanted to do that..." Hikari mock pouted.

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on Drift's field.

"And that lets me summon Gemini Elf in your end phase!" Ikke did so, and the female monster reappeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"MY TURN NOW!" Ikke grinned. "First, I gain 1000 life points thanks to Snatch Steal."

Ikke: 5600

Drift: 8000

"And now, I'll sacrifice my Gemini Elf, and summon the almighty Great Maju Garzett!" The Elf faded away as a mighty fiend appeared. "And his attack becomes double that of the monster I sacrificed!"

Great Maju Garzett: 0/0 + 1900x2 3800/0

"Now crush his Warrior Lady with Maju Crash!" Garzett launched an attack, but Drift sighed in disappointment.

"Giving up?" asked Ikke.

"No, just wishing you paid attention. REVEAL SAKURETSU ARMOR!" His facedown rose up, and special armor appeared on D.D. Warrior Lady. "This trap card destroys one attacking monster, like your Garzett! GO, D.D. WARRIOR LADY! DESTROY GREAT MAJU GARZETT WITH SAKURETSU BLADE OF TRIUMPH!" The Lady raised a glowing sword, and cut down Garzett before her new armor faded away.

"Blast it..." Ikke grit his teeth. He hadn't been thinking straight. He was just so... ANGRY...

Perversely, CyberV waved to him from behind Drift. He saw red.

"You little... I set one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared.

"Okay then," said Drift. "Time to smack more sense into you. I'll sacrifice Mad Dog and bring out Sillva, Warlord of the Dark World!" Mad Dog and Snatch Steal vanished. The Warlord had arrived, cape billowing.

Sillva, Warlord of the Dark World: 2300/1400

"SILLVA, ATTACK WITH WARLORD'S CHARGE!" Sillva slashed a mighty blade at Ikke, who snapped his fingers, causing his facedown to rise.

"Bad move. Magic Cylinder!" Two barrels appeared. "Now his attack misses me..." The attack entered the first barrel. "And hits you instead!" It exited the second, and struck Drift head on.

Ikke: 5600

Drift: 5700

"Cute, but now you're wide open again! Warrior Lady, show your stuff!" The Lady slashed Ikke again.

Ikke: 4100

Drift: 5700

"That ends my turn."

"My turn," said Ikke. "And I summon Soul Tiger in attack mode!" A tiger appeared.

Soul Tiger: 0/2300

"Why such a weak monster?" asked Ashes. "He can't possibly fight with it."

"Yes he can," said Hikari. "But not the way you expect."

"And now I activate Creature Swap!" A card appeared. "Now we exchange one monster from each of our fields."

"Well, I feel sorry for you," said Drift, "I mean, you don't have much to use right now... You can have Sillva. I'll just beat him in a turn or so anyway."

"And you must take Soul Tiger, one of my weakest monsters!" The two monsters transposed. "And now you'll see how weak he is! SILLVA, DESTROY THE TIGER!" Sillva slashed, and the Tiger disintegrated.

"Ugh..." Drift felt everything from that attack, since the monster had no attack to act as a buffer.

Ikke: 4100

Drift: 3400

"What? No more smartalek remarks? Pity. I end my turn."

Drift glared at Ikke. He wasn't getting better... He was getting WORSE. This was gonna be harder than he thought.

"I used to be like you," said Drift. "I'll never go back to that. I'd rather die."

"Huh?" Hikari was lost.

"Got me," said Jay.

"My flashback sense is tingling," said CV, earning him another bop on the head.

* * *

The past...

Drift flicked the small knife in and out. He'd always fiddled with a switchblade when he was getting bored, and now was no exception. He was known in this town for being a troublemaker, a smartalek with a dangerous reputation as a duelist. When he beat someone, they never dueled again. He didn't just take their best cards... He took their fighting spirit.

He was a member of the Blaze, and nothing would ever change that. The Blaze were the toughest gang around, bar none.

"You are pathetic," he said as he collected all the rare cards from the kid he'd just beaten. Nothing good. Just a couple halfway decent fusions. He threw the rest back in the kid's face and spit on the kid's favorite. "Not even worth my time." He turned his back on the defeated duelist and moved on.

"Nice moves, my man," said the gang's leader and namesake, Blaze. "Get anything good?"

"Flower Wolf. No."

"Junk card..." Blaze shook his head. "How lame. Ought to've used that knife of your's. Taught him not to walk our streets without a decent tribute."

"He wasn't worth it. Besides, letting him live means he can wallow in his humiliation for the rest of his life. He'll just WISH I finished him off."

Blaze grinned. Drift had a knack for mental cruelty. He liked that. The kid was superior, and he knew how to exploit it.

"Come on. The day is young, and so are our next targets."

* * *

The Duelist had come into town on a rare visit. Normally, he was deeply involved with management affairs, but recent events had forced him to drop everything. Reports of a duel gang disgusted him. Predators ruining the game for newcomers. It was sick and wrong, and he knew he had to do something about it.

But more importantly, there was someone involved he needed to find. To that end, he and his newest ally were on the hunt to redeem a soul in turmoil.

He just hoped he wouldn't have to use the bundle strapped to his back.

* * *

The Present...

"Wait, how'd you know that part?" asked CV.

"Ya mind not interrupting?" asked Drift, annoyed.

"Sorry... Oh, why the mysterious bit with not telling us who the two duelists were?"

"Hey, when I want someone critiquing my history, I'LL ASK!"

"Testy, I see..."

"QUIET!" Mouse bopped him. CV tipped over, leg twitching.

"This keeps up," said Ikke, sweatdropping, "I won't NEED to hurt him."

"Thanks," said Drift, as he continued his story...

* * *

The Past...

Drift snickered as Sillva of the Dark World finished off his latest victim. It was a short duel, thanks to the swarming power of these particularly vicious monsters. It was just a pity Blaze had to leave on a recruitment drive. He would have enjoyed the show.

"And another one bites the dust."

"He can't be the right one," said the mystery duelist's ally. "He's too cruel and spiteful."

"No, he's the right one. Just as I was shown."

Drift turned to see the newcomers in the shadows. Annoyed, he noted that his victim was using the distraction to get away.

"Bad move," said Drift, as he gave the two his full attention. "You just cost me a score. Now you'll be paying for it. Guys, we've got troublemakers."

No one arose to help.

"Guys?"

"You mean them?" asked the mystery duelist. He gestured to several barely conscious gang members, each looking like he'd been pummeled within an inch of his life. "We've already met."

Drift narrowed his eyes. "The two of you have some nerve. You mess with the Blaze, you burn."

"I doubt that." There was a somewhat impatient tone to the man's voice. "You see, we've come to offer you a unique opportunity." They stepped out of the shadows and into the light of day.

"I'm called LazyMan, and the young lady is called Mouse."

"For all I care, you could be Goofy and Donald." He flicked out his switchblade. "Now hand over your rare cards and I'll think about forgiving your interruptions."

"Mouse?"

"On it." Mouse darted forward, and before Drift knew what was happening, she'd grabbed his wrist and twisted it back behind his arm, forcing him to drop it.

"HEY! LEGGO!" He tried to pull free, but this "Mouse" was more like a tiger. He couldn't move. He slowly realized that SHE was the one that had taken out his people.

"Not until you listen to us," said LazyMan. "We represent the Arcane Academy, and believe that you have talent that can be of use to us. However, your every action thus far only shows me that you have a great deal of anger and rage inside you."

"What's your point?" Mouse released Drift, who rubbed his wrist.

"My point is that I have a proposition for you. I defeat you in a duel, you give up this gang life and consider the offer I'm making. If I lose, I'll give you my entire deck, and you'll never see either of us again."

"You want to duel me?" Drift laughed. "Oh, this won't take long."

"On that, we agree," said LazyMan as he extended his disk to play mode.

"LET'S DUEL!"

LazyMan: 4000

Drift: 4000

"And I think I'll start things off," said Drift. "Prepare to lose." He drew. "I play the spell Card Destruction. This lets me discard my current hand and draw a new one. It makes you do it, too. So sorry. NOT." Drift and LazyMan both discarded and drew new cards.

"And that activates several of my monsters' special abilities. First, because a spell card made me discard it from my hand, I can summon from the graveyard Goldd, Wu-Lord of the Dark World!" A monestrous warrior emerged from the darkness.

Goldd, Wu-Lord of the Dark World: 2300/1400

"And another warrior's coming out thanks to the exact same effect. Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World!" A second monster appeared.

Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World: 1600/1300

"Oh, and what the heck, one more for good measure..." A third appeared.

Sillva, Warlord of the Dark World: 2100/1400

"And the special effect of a fourth, Broww, lets me draw one new card." He did so.

"And I still have my normal summoning, so it's time to meet Zure, Knight of the Dark World!" A knight appeared.

Zure, Knight of the Dark World: 1800/1500

"That's four monsters, in case you can't count." Drift snickered.

"Strength in numbers? Real strength comes from within. You'll know that for certain once this duel is finished."

"Talk talk talk. Let's see how tough you are once I play THESE." He held up three spell cards. "Three Ookazi. When one is played, the opponent takes 800 damage to their life points. So by playing THREE..." Flames erupted all around LazyMan, sapping his strength and his life points.

LazyMan: 1600

Drift: 4000

"Finally, I'll place one card facedown," Drift grinned as his card appeared. It would spell the end for this fool. "Now try your best to survive this round."

"I will," said LazyMan. "And I'll defeat you with just four cards."

"Yeah, right." He snickered. "You're all talk."

"No, despite my chosen name, I'm more about action! First, I'll play Monster Reborn!" The card appeared. "That's the first."

"Bad move! That activates my trap!" Drift's card rose up. "It's a nasty number called Nightmare Wheel. Here's how it works: Your monster can't attack, and each of your standby phases that it remains on the field, you lose 500 life points."

The Nightmare Wheel appeared on LazyMan's side, but through the smoke, Drift couldn't see the monster clearly.

"The bad move was YOUR'S." said LazyMan as the smoke cleared to reveal... JINZO, strapped to the Nightmare Wheel.

Jinzo: 2400/1500

"You see, you didn't wait to see what I summoned. Jinzo here is IMMUNE TO TRAPS! Say goodbye to your Nightmare Wheel!" Jinzo, in a show of sheer power, ripped free of Nightmare Wheel, rending it asunder in the process. It exploded, leaving Jinzo without a scratch.

"That's two." said LazyMan.

"No way..." Drift shook it off. "So what if you've got the strongest monster on the field? It's only a matter of time until I annihilate him and your life points, and in the meantime, I've got four willing shields to take his attack. So much for your boasts about winning with four cards."

"I still have two more to go," said LazyMan. "AND THE THIRD IS RAIGEKI!" Lightning shot out, striking and annihilating all the Dark World monsters. Drift's jaw dropped. Just like that, he was wide open.

"You see, Raigeki destroys all the opponent's monsters. It's a powerful spell card I only use for special situations like this." LazyMan regarded the now empty field. "So much for strength in numbers, wouldn't you agree?"

Drift scowled. "You still can't win on this turn. Jinzo only has 2400 attack points. I'll still have more than enough left over to crush you on my next turn."

"You don't GET one," said LazyMan. "Yes, I'm going to attack you directly, but first, I have my fourth and final card. It's another spell called Limiter Removal." The spell rose up. "It doubles the attack of any machine monster on the field, and destroys them at the end of the turn. But I don't think we'll be getting that far."

Jinzo: 2400x2 4800

"You lose. Jinzo, finish it." Jinzo brought it's arms up, and a ball of electricity lanced out, striking Drift head on and sending him flying into the wall behind him.

LazyMan: 1600

Drift: 0

Lying on the ground, Drift couldn't believe it. Beaten in a single round.

* * *

The present...

"A single round?! You lose in a single ROUND, and you're going up against Ikke?! Are you nuts?"

"SHUT IT!" Mouse clocked CV again, joined this time by Hikari and Nat.

"Shutting it..." said CV, dazed, as massive welts grew on his head.

* * *

The Past...

"You... just got lucky. That's all..." Drift pulled himself up, shaken, but unhurt. "This doesn't change anything. I'm not leaving the Blaze! I won't!"

"No," said LazyMan. "You would have lost regardless of my hand. There's a part of you deep down that didn't want to win." He reached for the bundle on his back. "Using this causes me great pain, as I have very little raw talent for the mystical, but this seems to be the only way you'll rediscover the true you." He unwrapped his package to reveal a strange golden weapon.

"This is the Scepter of the Balance. Now look upon the legacy you are leaving, and those you have harmed!" The orb atop the Scepter began to glow, and Drift suddenly felt himself unable to turn away as images flashed before his eyes.

He saw children he had defeated, growing up hateful and vengeful. He saw his parents, ashamed of his actions. And he saw himself, eventually facing a rival gang and-

"NO!" He tore his eyes away, and LazyMan gasped in pain, dropping to his knees.

"LAZYMAN!" Mouse rushed to his side to help him.

"I had no choice. He... He could have been the one."

"Is he?"

"No... But he can still be a great ally. If he accepts my offer."

Drift, terribly shaken by what he had seen, could only stand there, terrified by his eventual fate, cut down because of his own destructive nature.

"That... That was me..."

"No, it COULD be you, if you don't change, and soon." LazyMan began rewrapping the Scepter. The pain was far too strong now. He would not be able to wield the Scepter again. The next time would cause his own banishment to the Shadow Realm.

"But I don't want... I don't want... to die..." Drift's bluster and anger was gone, replaced by the profound realization of what he had become.

"Then don't," said LazyMan. "You've been chosen to fight the darkness you've wallowed in. Join us, and make amends for your past." He held up an Arcane Invitation card. Hesitantly, Drift took it. "We'll be in touch, if you want us to be." He turned and began to walk away.

Drift looked at Mouse, who had concern written all over her face.

"Why? Why did he do that?"

"There are dark times coming, and we need all the heroes we can get."

"Dark times?" He couldn't believe all this. "And why do you fight? What's in it for you?"

Mouse began walking away. "That is my secret, and mine alone." In moments, she was gone.

She was half a block away when the telltale light show behind her informed her that Drift was accepting their invitation...

* * *

The present...

"You see, Ikke, I was consumed with hate and rage, and it would have destroyed me if LazyMan and Mouse hadn't gotten to me when they did. Now it's my turn to make sure it doesn't happen to you."

"I'm not the one that needs help," said Ikke.

Ikke: 4100

Drift: 3400

"Fine, don't listen. I'll just have to smack sense into you instead." He looked at his hand. "I'll switch Warrior Lady to defense mode." She crouched down. "Now I'll place one monster facedown and end my turn." A card appeared next to Warrior Lady.

"If that's how you expect to beat me, you've already lost." Ikke drew. "I play Dark Factory of Mass Production. This allows me to return two normal monsters from the graveyard to my hand, and I choose Gemini Elf and Mad Dog!" The graveyard on Ikke's disk ejected the two cards, and he snatched them up.

"And now my Dog is back to howl!" The Mad Dog reappeared

Mad Dog of Darkness: 1900/1400

"Now, Mad Dog, destroy the Warrior Lady!" The Dog bounded forward and bit the Warrior Lady, shattering her.

"And now, go, Sillva, and destroy his facedown!" Sillva launched an attack, but as the card shattered, Scarr of the Dark World appeared.

"Bad move," said Drift. "Now I can summon a level 4 or lower Darkworld Monster, and I choose Broww!" Broww materialized.

Broww, Huntsman of the Dark World: 1400/800

"And your dog is put down, too, thanks to Warrior Lady's effect!" Mad Dog shattered.

"Then I'll end my turn and summon Gemini Elf," said Ikke, annoyed that Drift wasn't wide open anymore. The Elves reappeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"Then it's my turn," said Drift. "And I'll play the spell Cheerful Coffin. With it, I can discard up to three of my monsters from my hand to the graveyard, and I happen to have two of Broww I don't need." The cards entered the graveyard. "And that activates their special ability. When they're sent to the graveyard by a spell effect, I get to draw a new card for each of them." He drew two cards.

"And now, I'll play Smashing Ground!" The spell rose up, and a giant fist shattered Sillva. "You remember that one, of course."

"Of course..." Ikke wasn't happy.

"Now I'll place one monster facedown and end my turn." A card appeared.

"Time to bring the pain," said Ikke. "I summon Opticlops!" A one-eyed giant appeared.

Opticlops: 1800/1700

"Now go, and destroy his facedown monster!" Opticlops bent over and punched the facedown card, revealing Sangan, who shattered.

"That just activated Sangan's special ability. Now I can add a dark monster with 1500 or fewer attack points to my hand." His deck searched out the card he wanted, and ejected it.

"But not to the field. GEMINI ELF, ATTACK DIRECTLY!" The Elves flipped through the air, and kicked Drift. "There's just something about strength in numbers that I love."

Ikke: 4100

Drift: 1500

Drift grinned. "Someone taught me that real strength comes from within. I guess that means you're pretty weak then."

Ikke growled.

"Anyway, I'll just set one monster and end my turn." A card appeared.

"If you think a single card will shield you, you're wrong! Opticlops, show him what I mean!" Opticlops punched the set monster, which appeared...

"Meet my Morphing Jar, Ikke!" The Jar grinned.

Morphing Jar: 700/600

"This guy makes us discard our entire hands, and draw five new cards each." Drift and Ikke did so. "And now, that activates the special abilities of the two monsters I just discarded. Come on out guys! It's time to play!" Goldd, Wu-Lord of the Dark World, and Sillva, Warlord of the Dark World, appeared.

Goldd: 2300/1400

Sillva: 2300/1400

"Sweet move," said Jay. "They're real heavy hitters."

"Let's hope they have enough hit," said Nat.

"KICK HIS BUTT!" yelled Raging Flame Sprite. "MAUL THE JERK!"

"That's what I like about you," said Ashes. "You're the picture of calm and tranquility."

"Fine, you want to play rough. I can do rough. I'll sacrifice my Opticlops to summon an even stronger monster than your Dark World lords! Come on out, Jinzo!" Opticlops shattered as Jinzo materialized.

Jinzo: 2400/1500

"Not like I haven't fought him before," said Drift. "But this time, I'll beat him!" He drew. "I play the permanent spell Card of Safe Return!" The card appeared. "Now, when a monster is special summoned from the graveyard, I can draw a card. And I'll discard one right now, namely another Goldd, thanks to another Cheerful Coffin!" He discarded Goldd, who then appeared on the field.

Goldd 2: 2300/1400

Drift drew a card. "You didn't forget his ability already, did you? Pity. Especially since this duel's just about over." He looked at his drawn card. "I summon Exiled Force!" An army of mercenaries appeared.

Exiled Force: 1000/1000

"And Exiled Force's special ability lets me discard it while it's face up, in order to destroy one monster on the field. GO GET THAT JINZO, BOYS!" The mercenaries charged Jinzo with their weapons, and began tearing the machine apart with spears, swords, and anything else they could think of.

Ikke was defenseless.

"It's not the numbers that give you the strength," said Drift. "It's how you use them! ALL OUT ATTACK!" The two Goldds and Sillva let loose, and Ikke was thrown halfway across the room.

Ikke: 0

Drift: 1500

"And that's it for Ikke's perfect record, too," said Hikari. "Maybe now he'll mellow out a bit."

There was a pause.

"NAH." Everyone agreed on that.

Ikke slowly struggled to get up. Drift walked over to him and offered his hand.

"Need some help?"

Ikke slapped the hand away. "Never. I am royalty, and royalty never shows weakness. The role of Second is your's now, as agreed."

"Keep it." Ikke looked up when he heard that. "I only challenged you for it to get you to duel."

Ikke got to his feet, astonished. "Then this was all for nothing."

"No. Perhaps now you'll understand the harm that letting your anger control you will bring. Good people believed in me. I believe in you."

"Does this mean group hug?" asked CV, before ducking under a swift kick from Mouse, and scrambling to his feet.

"Ikke, we need you in this fight, but we need you to relax more. You've been tightly wound ever since CyberV was chosen by the Scepter, and that anger is going to destroy you. You have to let it go. All those pranks? Just pranks. Don't get angry. Laugh."

"I don't laugh, but I will take your advice under consideration. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've wasted enough time here for one day." Ikke removed himself from the group and began to leave the room. As he passed CyberV, the rookie duelist spoke up.

"When the time comes, Ikke, I WILL fulfill the prophecy and save your people."

"Your services will not be required," said Ikke, before continuing out of the room.

CV watched him go, then shrugged. "Geez, what a grouch. Shoulda been named Oscar."

"KNOCK IT OFF!" The roar came from almost everyone in the room, and knocked CV flat on his back.

"...medic..."

* * *

Ikke made his way back to his office. The entire day had been as large a disaster as the Big Andy incident. Still, he could not help but think of what Drift said. Brushing such thoughts aside, he went to his supply closet to get a replacement megaphone. He opened it up, and paused.

Inscribed on each was a date of projected destruction, and a note.

Slowly, he read what it said.

_"Lighten up already!"_

Ikke replaced the note, closed the supply closet, and allowed himself the luxury of a single, private chuckle.

Next Time: A Vengeful Hostage Crisis! CyberV's Third Deck Revealed!


	14. A Vengeful Hostage Crisis!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The girls' day on the town was interrupted by a gang of punks. Allis found the courage to put them down. Drift's origin was revealed, and everyone learned that he used to be a member of a vicious duel gang called the Blaze, until LazyMan and Mouse showed him what his chosen path would lead to. CyberV's reputation as an Otaku Geek was put to the test when Big Andy ran amuck through the Academy. Poison found himself infatuated with Hikari, promising CV that he would protect her when CV could not. CV began undergoing an unusual change, first during Jay's duel with Jimbo, then again during his duel with Hikari. Allis stood silent witness to Ikke's near-breakdown in an intense training session.

* * *

"Tomorrow, we will have an opportunity." The man looked towards his followers, loyal all. "Tomorrow, we shall get some measure of revenge for our disgrace."

He pulled out a switchblade. The blade of the traitor, the deserter.

"We have tolerated their interference long enough. They will be in town tomorrow..." He threw the blade into the wall, where it stuck. "AND THEY WILL PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES AGAINST US!"

The knife stabbed through a composite picture of Allis, Mouse, and Drift.

Blaze smiled.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 14: A Vengeful Hostage Crisis! CyberV's Third Deck Revealed!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Drift was a bit confused by the large envelope delivered to his door. He didn't get much mail. He shrugged, thinking it was junk mail as he opened it.

He dropped the contents almost immediately. A picture of his parents, and a short letter with familiar writing.

"Go with your friends tomorrow, or these two suffer."

A familiar fire symbol told him who had sent it. Furious, he picked up the letter and tore it in two.

* * *

"Ah, the weekend," said Hikari. "Another successful week of learning, capped by trying to forget all of it in town." She stretched, exhausted by a near all-nighter she'd done to get her homework finished.

"I see you're not wasting time," said Mouse. "I haven't even warmed up the car yet."

"You kidding, anything to keep away from Ikke right now... I mean, he hasn't even blown up yet over what we... MAY have done to his Megaphones a few days ago."

"You can stop denying it at any time." Mouse allowed herself a weak smile. "I did catch you in his supply closet. All of you, I point out."

Hikari shrugged. "He was keeping the dork busy, and we were bored. Thought it was funny."

"Apparently, it was," said Nat, joining them, as usual, still in her school uniform. "I mean, he's actually starting to relax. Either that, or we broke him completely."

"I vote we get outta here before he goes Chopman on us," said Ashes, bringing up the rear with Allis in tow.

Allis said nothing, lost in thought.

"Allis, are you okay?" Hikari was a bit concerned.

"YOOHOO! Anybody home?!" Raging Flame Sprite waved her hands in front of Allis' face. Naturally, the girl couldn't see her.

"Oh, yes, I'm... I'm fine." Allis was deep in thought.

"Oooookay..." Ashes shrugged. "So, what say we get on the road!"

"Usual place?" asked Nat.

"TO THE MALL!" blared Ashes, exuberant as ever.

Watching from a distance, Drift clenched his fists. Something bad was gonna go down...

* * *

"I need your help," said Drift.

"Oh?" CV was a bit confused. "Why? I mean, you're the one that crushed Ikke into dust."

"I think the girls are gonna be in trouble." THAT got the attention of CV and Jay.

"What kind of trouble?" Jay had a real bad feeling about this.

"Blaze."

CV was aghast. "The creep you used to work for? Let me guess... He wants revenge on you through the others. Lovely." CV rubbed his eyes. "Guess we'd better catch up to them."

"Shouldn't we leave this to the police?" asked Jay.

"Yeah, and while we're at it, we can explain how Drift used to be a gang member. They'd LOVE that. Besides, if those creeps see police officers, they may do something really ugly."

"Let's move," said Drift.

"How do we get there?" asked Jay.

"School car." Drift held up some keys.

"You can drive?"

"I take my test next week."

"WONDERFUL..."

* * *

It was another beautiful day, as far as Ashes was concerned. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and no need to duel for anything but fun. Everything a girl could ask for.

Naturally, she was indoors, power shopping.

"So, which should we see?" she asked as they reached the entrance to the movie theater. "The badly written romance comedy? The implausible thriller?"

Mouse raised an eyebrow. "We walk in a world full of Egyptian magic and holographic monsters. Implausible isn't a word I keep in my vocabulary any more."

"True, true..." Ashes glanced over at Raging Flame Sprite, who snickered.

Watching from a distance, Blaze consulted with two of his followers.

"That's them?"

"Yeah, the quiet chick is the one that humiliated us," said one goon, motioning towards Allis. She was obviously mulling something over.

"And that's the one that beat up half the crew last year," said another one, referencing Mouse.

"And no sign of Drift. Looks like he doesn't care about his parents much." Blaze sighed. "We'll deal with them later. They'll be busy for a couple hours in that theater. Plenty of time to set things up. You know what to do."

"RIGHT!"

* * *

Drift drove like a madman.

"Drift?" asked Jay. "You know about that driving test you have next week?"

"Yeah?"

"PRACTICE HARDER!"

CV ignored the bad driving, and focused on a stack of cards in his hand. Jay glanced at his belt, and saw that he had three holders instead of his previous two.

"New deck?"

"Yeah," said CV, as he tucked it into the new holster. "I've been working on it ever since that fiasco with Big Andy."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. See, all this time, I've been relying on Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior."

"BECAUSE WE ROCK!" boasted Rocket Warrior, getting a growling agreement from Red-Eyes, flying alongside the car.

"What's your point?"

"I mean, they are my duel spirits, and they're special to me because Joey Wheeler entrusted them to me, but their decks... They don't really reflect who I am. Not really. Big Andy? He was who he wanted to be, regardless of what others thought, and I need to have that kind of courage and joy if I'm going to be the Warrior."

"And this new deck will help you do that?"

"I hope so."

"We still rock, right?" asked Rocket Warrior. CV sweatdropped.

"We're here!" said Drift. "Remember the plan. We split up, find the girls, and clear them out before Blaze can find them." He skidded into a parking space like a pro... on about fifteen times the legal dose of caffeine.

"And if this Blaze guy HAS found them?" CV looked at his third holster.

"Simply put? We're toast."

"Lovely..."

* * *

The security guards didn't know what hit them. One minute, they were watching the monitors for shoplifters and fights, the next they were on the ground, clubbed. The Blaze wasted no time locking them in with their own keys.

Jay ran through the lowest level, searching each store frantically for some sign of the others. But there was nothing.

Drift took the ground level, but wasn't having any luck either... Well, not any GOOD luck. He saw, several times, guys he KNEW worked for Blaze. Muttering under his breath, he maneuvered around them and kept looking, far more cautiously.

CV took the upper level, but with similar results. The only place he hadn't checked yet was the theater. Out of breath, he walked up to the attendant.

"Excuse me... Have you seen a group of girls come by here? One of them would have a jacket like mine."

"Sorry," said the attendant. "Can't help. I just came on shift five minutes ago."

"Thanks." CV moved on, unaware that the real attendant was unconscious on the floor of the booth.

As he got out of voice range, he got a bad feeling.

"Rocket Warrior, go into the theater and scope it out. I've got a real bad feeling we're too late."

"On it!" Rocket Warrior flew through the wall of the theater. Inside, he quickly found the girls, heckling a particularly rancid comedy. "They're okay!"

"Of course they're okay," said the Flame Sprite, flying up to meet him. "What's going on?"

"Trouble. It's that jerk Drift told us about. Blaze is HERE. And he's NOT in the mood for a tearful reunion."

"I'll warn Ashes!" said the Sprite, turning to see that the movie had just ended, and already the girls were smack dab in the middle of the exiting crowd.

"Uh oh..." said both spirits.

* * *

Drift finished searching his floor, both relieved and concerned at the same time. Relieved because if there was trouble, it wasn't there. Concerned, because that still left two more levels.

"Well well," said a voice from behind him. Drift turned just in time to see a fist flying at his face. "Welcome back. We missed you."

* * *

As the girls left the theater, the "attendant" pulled out a cell phone.

"They're headed your way, Boss."

"Good. I believe the time has come to have a little fun..."

* * *

As the "Attendant" left his post, Flame Sprite and Rocket Warrior stopped and looked around.

"They're really moving!" said Rocket Warrior. "We'd better-"

"OH NO!" Flame Sprite was inside the booth, checking on the unconscious ticket seller. "He's unconscious."

"They know where the girls are!" exclaimed Rocket Warrior. "MOVE!" He grabbed her hand and blasted off.

* * *

"I dunno about you," said Ashes, "But this place seems almost dead today."

"Doesn't help that Allis is off in her own little world..." Nat glanced at the girl. "Wonder what her deal is."

"YOO HOO..." Hikari waved her hand in front of Allis' face. "Wakey wakey..."

"OH!" Allis snapped out of it, startled. "Oh, I'm sorry... I was just thinking about... about something."

"Or someONE," said Ashes. "Come on admit it. You've got a crush on someone."

"No, I-"

"Oh, definite crush," said Hikari. "Spill. We want a name!"

Allis blushed. "You'll laugh..."

"No, we won't," said Mouse.

"...Ikke..."

There was a brief pause.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!!!" Hikari and Ashes almost collapsed. Nat suppressed a snicker. Mouse just sweatdropped.

Allis just blushed harder. "I knew you'd do that.."

"Oh, it's not that," said Nat. "It's just that... Well, IKKE? I mean, even the Otaku Geek's better than that egomaniac!"

"It's just... Well, he's all alone, like me... He has so much to prove to his family and..."

"AND you won't be getting the chance to tell him that," said a harsh voice from behind the girls. They turned as one to see several gang members massed. "Because you're never leaving this place."

"Oh, really?" asked Hikari. She got a look at their threads. "Oh, not YOU morons again."

The punks growled, but Mouse's eyes widened. "The Blaze!"

"You're JOKING..." Ashes couldn't believe it. "That gang Drift was in? That was THESE jerks?"

"Well, at least we know we can handle them," said Nat.

"Get behind me," said Mouse, getting between the girls and the punks. "I've handled them before, and I'll do it UGH!" There was a quick crack, like a ruler on a desk, and Mouse fell forward to the ground, writhing in pain, holding her leg. The girls turned to their right to see Blaze himself, holding a gun.

"I heard you could fight. I thought a precaution was in order." He grinned. "Get the shy one. Hold the rest, and keep an eye on the would be heroine. I don't want her passing out... I want her to SEE her punishment coming."

At the sound of the first gunshot, there was confusion from the crowd. To make his point clear, Blaze fired into the air, and people scattered in all directions. "Ah, fear. Intoxicating. You'll know fear..."

He watched as Nat removed her belt to use as a tourniquet for Mouse's leg. Marine training paid off once in a while.

"And I'll be the one to introduce you to it..."

* * *

Jay didn't hear the shot, but he saw the result, as a stampede of shoppers began rushing for any exit they could find.

"Oh no..." He began running opposite the crowd.

* * *

"We're too late!" exclaimed Flame Sprite. The two spirits flew down to check on the girls.

"Mouse is hurt bad," said Ashes. Hikari nodded, not really aware that Ashes was talking to her spirit.

"I'll go find the others," said Rocket Warrior. He switched to invincible mode and blasted off.

* * *

CV heard the stampeding crowd before he saw it, and ducked into the nearest store to avoid the foot traffic. The second he was inside the store, he was face to face with both a hated enemy, and a needed ally.

"POISON!" The dark mage of the Evil Duelists stood before him, perplexed and annoyed.

"Okay, what did you do THIS time?"

"Not my doing. Big trouble involving an old friend of Drift's. What are YOU doing here?"

"What, I can't shop on my days off?"

"I thought you'd be kicking puppies or something."

"That's tomorrow. So, should I be concerned about what's causing the panic?"

"Yeah. Whatever's happening, it's a good bet Hikari's right in the thick of it."

"WHAT?!" Poison almost ran out the door, but CV blocked him with an arm.

"No. Jay, Drift and I are on it, and I can't risk you revealing even the slightest hint of our arrangement in public." CV looked around. It was a dark, forbidding place. The blase employees wore disturbing makeup and facial piercings.

"Goth shop."

"Of course..."

"We've got a situation!" yelled Rocket Warrior as he reached CV and Poison. "Hey, what's this bozo doing here? Never mind, I don't care. Listen, the others are thataway," he said, pointing towards the source of the chaos. "Blaze has the girls, and he's already hurt Mouse."

"Poison, I have to help them."

"How?"

"The only way I can. You've got to get out of here, in the meantime. They don't know you, they're not after you, and you're talented enough in the art of illusion and distraction to see if anyone else is in danger. Leave the others to me."

"...All right, but if they so much as pull Hikari's hair, I'm gonna beat the snot out of you."

"Fine. Good luck." CV turned and left the store. Now, with most of the crowd at the exits, it was easy to move quickly and stealthily through the main hall. In almost no time at all, he saw the situation. He ducked behind a corner and observed. Rocket Warrior was right. Mouse was down, but she didn't seem to be losing much blood. Flesh wound then. Not life threatening, but it took her out of action for sure. He saw the girls, but he didn't see Jay or Drift.

"So, how does it feel to know you're never going to leave here alive?" asked Blaze. "And you're taking your friends down with you. Pity, that. Still, I suppose the damage is done..."

"BOSS!" Blaze turned, and CV growled softly, as they both saw two more gang members dragging an unconscious Drift to join the others.

"DRIFT!" Ashes was horrified. He looked pretty bad, beaten no doubt. Several of these gang members had chains, and some had clubs, probably stolen from the security guards. Only Blaze had a gun. Where were the police?! Surely they'd have heard of the panic and chaos by now...

"Glad you could join us..." said Blaze, as he watched Drift get dumped unceremoniously on the floor in front of the girls. "Shame you won't be awake to watch the first one die." He aimed at Allis.

'NO! I have to do something NOW! No time... No time to plan anything! I have to move!'

"no..." Allis was terrified. She couldn't move, couldn't look away, and could barely speak. The punks held the others to keep them from interfering.

"This is for disgracing my men." He started to pull the trigger... And CV suddenly felt the change again.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He sprang from his hiding place and, before anyone knew what was happening, he performed a perfect palm thrust, knocking the gun away and sending it clattering down into a corner. He followed with a sweeping kick that knocked Blaze off his feet and to the ground. As he stood, surrounded by goons, the Wdjat glowed on his forehead.

Just arriving out of sight, Jay was astonished. "He's changed again... Just like at the warehouse!"

"Punk," said Blaze, "You just made a BIG mistake."

Undisturbed by the goons all around him, CV kept his gaze on Blaze. "Wrong. This ends NOW. You've terrorized my friends, hurt innocent people, and disgraced the art of dueling. I'm here to take you down, once and for all."

He struck a battle pose.

"I am the Warrior of the Balance! CYBERV... FOR VICTORY!" It would have seemed silly, but the look in CV's eyes told Blaze that he was dead serious.

"GET HIM!" Blaze stepped back as several punks came at CV. Big mistake. As one swung a chain at him, he kicked the club out of the hands of a second and blocked the chain. Pulling hard, he got the goon off balance, and swung the guy into his friends. A spin kick took care of the club swinger now weaponless.

"Woah... He's got GAME." Hikari was amazed. She'd no idea that CV actually had moves.

Jay remembered how CV had easily handled Jimbo, evading every blow. "Careful, man..."

Mouse was impressed. CV wasn't as good as she was, but he'd obviously been at it for a while. No specific style, but, she assumed, shamelessly cribbed from the countless hours he'd spent watching Japanese television.

With the goons distracted, Nat decided that it was time she put something to use besides medical training. Seeing the goon behind her, she quickly head butted him, grabbed his club, and threw it into the face of one of the punks that had beaten Drift.

"How'd you do that?" asked CV as he ducked under a chain.

"Marine training. You?"

"Power Rangers videos."

"Thought so." Nat slugged a total jerk that needed a slower, and turned in time to see CV flip the last of his creeps onto his tailbone. It made a satisfying crack.

They heard a loud snap, and CV felt a faint burning sensation on his cheek as a bullet just grazed it. Blaze had recovered his gun.

"That's just about enough of that," said Blaze, aiming more carefully. "You want to be a hero? Newsflash: Heroes die."

"Not this time," said CV as he wiped the tiny bit of blood off his face. "I've heard that you've never lost a duel. Is this true?"

"What's it matter to you?" demanded Blaze. "You're gonna die."

"I doubt that very much. I challenge you, Blaze, to a duel! And the loser plays a Penalty Game!"

Blaze laughed. "And why shouldn't I just shoot you?"

"Because that means your soul will be shredded instantly." His forehead's Wdjat flared again. "This is now a Shadow Game, Blaze, and the loser pays the ultimate price. Cheating means instant forfeit and punishment."

"Why not? Not like you're getting out alive." He snapped his fingers, and one of the few goons not beaten senseless handed him a disk and his deck. CV donned his own Disk, and grabbed his new deck.

"You should let one of us help you," said Rocket Warrior as he and Red-Eyes reappeared. "You don't know that the deck will work right!"

'I need to do this,' he thought. 'I have to know I can stand on my own if need be. Please understand, you two are my friends, but some things, a man has to do alone.'

"All right," said Rocket Warrior. "But be careful."

'Always.' CV shuffled his deck and loaded it into the disk.

CyberV: 4000

Blaze: 4000

"LET'S DUEL!" called out Blaze.

"IT'S DUELIN' TIME!" agreed CV.

"I'll start this slaughter," said Blaze. "By increasing my hand through the spell Graceful Charity!" A heavenly woman appeared. "Now I can draw three cards, as long as I send two from my hand to the grave." He did so, and the woman vanished. "And now, I'll play another spell, Fulfillment of the Contract!" A spell card appeared. "By paying 800 life points, I can summon any ritual monster from my graveyard and equip it, without playing the ritual spell or sacrificing monsters!"

CyberV: 4000

Blaze: 3200

"AND THE MONSTER I'M SUMMONING IS CRAB TURTLE!" There was a massive eruption of power as the monster rose up, a massive crustacean, filled with rage.

Crab Turtle: 2550/2500

"And since that was a special summon, I can also bring out my Karate Man!" A stereotypical blaxploitation fighter appeared.

Karate Man: 1000/1000

"Finally, I'll equip Karate Man with Lightning Blade, to give him extra power to cut you down." The card appeared, and a sword materialized in Karate Man's hands.

Karate Man: 1000/1000 + 800/0 1800/1000

"That ends my turn." Blaze smirked.

"That all you've got?" asked CV. He drew. "I place one card facedown." A spell card appeared. "And play Giant Trunade!" Trunade appeared, and the card CV had just place down was returned to his hand. "Trunade returns all spells and traps on the field to their owner's hands." CV perversely waved goodbye as the Lightning Blade returned to Blaze's hand.

Karate Man: 1800/1000 - 800/0 1000/1000

"And as for the card I just returned to my hand? It's a neat little trap called Treasure Map. You see, when it's returned to my hand by spell or trap, I get to draw two new cards." He did so. "And now I'll summon X-Head Cannon in attack mode!" A massive floating robot appeared.

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

"And I'll equip him with Y-Dragon Head." He placed the monster card in a spell zone, and the mechanical beast appeared, hovering behind it's teammate.

"That's against the rules!" yelled Blaze. "You can't do that!"

"Yes I can," said CV. "Y-Dragon Head is a Union monster, which means it can be treated as an equip spell. An equip spell, I add, that raises X-Head Cannon's attack by 400!"

X-Head Cannon (equipped): 2200/1900

"NOW ATTACK KARATE MAN WITH BLAZING X-BURST!" X-Head Cannon, drawing power from Y-Dragon Head, fired, and Karate Man shattered.

CyberV: 4000

Blaze: 2000

"Now I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn." Two cards appeared.

"Woah, CV's already halfway to winning!" Hikari was relieved. This mess was almost over.

"Don't believe it yet," said Nat. "The duel's just begun. We don't know what Blaze has up his sleeve, and we've never seen those monsters in CV's deck before."

"That's right," said CV. "You haven't. This is my brand new Super Sentai deck, designed to take down just about anyone through the power of teamwork... And giant robots."

Nat groaned.

"Well, your new deck'll be the death of you," said Blaze. "I play Cost Down!" The card appeared. "This lets me downgrade all monsters in my hand by two levels, making them easier to summon. Monsters like Ushi Oni!" A frightful bullheaded Djinn appeared.

Ushi Oni: 2150/1950

"And I'll equip him with the spell Shooting Star Bow-Ceal!" The card appeared, and a blow and arrow appeared in Ushi Oni's hand.

Ushi Oni (equipped): 1150/1950

"It makes my monster 1000 points weaker, but now... NOW HE CAN ATTACK YOU DIRECTLY!" Oni fired an arrow, which CV grinned at.

"REVEAL TRAP!" Waboku rose up. "Waboku reduces that attack to zero!" The arrow struck, but did no damage.

"Doesn't matter," said Blaze. "CRAB TURTLE, DESTROY X-HEAD CANNON! CRAB CLAW CRUSHER!" The monster's massive claw lunged forward, but Y-Dragon Head moved, and flew into the path of the claw, taking the hit and erupting into pixels. "WHAT?!"

CyberV: 3650

Blaze: 2000

"When a monster equipped with a union card is attacked, the union card gets destroyed instead. Too bad, so sad." CV smirked.

"You little..." Blaze glared at CV, and put two cards facedown. "Two face downs and I end my turn."

"Fine by me," said CV. He drew. "I play my own Graceful Charity!" He drew three cards, picked two, and sent them to the graveyard. "Now, I play Premature Burial!" The card appeared. "By spending 800 life points, I can revive Y-Dragon Head." The monster reappeared.

CyberV: 2850

Blaze: 2000

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

"And now, my two monsters will give you a preview of your finish! COMBINE!" The two monsters surged forward, with X-Head Cannon attaching to Y-Dragon Head. "Meet the XY- Dragon Cannon!"

XY-Dragon Cannon: 2200/1900

"And now, I think I need some more backup. I summon V-Tiger Jet in defense mode!" V-Tiger Jet appeared. A strange jet with a tiger's face.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

"And my facedown will bring me even more!" boasted CV. "REVEAL ULTIMATE OFFERING!" The trap rose up. "By paying 500 life points, I can summon another monster. And I choose Z-Metal Tank!" A single eyed tank appeared.

Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300

CyberV: 2350

Blaze: 2000

"I love defense mode."

"It won't save you from Ushi Oni," said Blaze. "Or my face downs."

"True, so let's do something about those face downs, shall we? I play XY's special ability!" He discarded one card from his hand. "By discarding 1 card, I can destroy one spell or trap on the field. XY-Dragon Cannon, destroy that facedown with Field Clearing Fireball!" The dragonhead opened wide, and a massive fire blast nailed one of the face downs. It rose up to reveal Shift, which shattered.

"In case you're wondering why my weaker monsters are in defense mode instead of going after Ushi Oni, let's just say I have a theory about your other facedown. I mean, you're the only one here with a gun, so you know what that tells me? COWARD. I can smell it from here. Let's find out, shall we? XY-Dragon Cannon, attack Ushi Oni with Dragon Bombardment!" The massive vehicle let loose with another attack.

"Not this time," said Blaze. "REVEAL NEGATE ATTACK!" A trap rose up, and XY's attack faded away.

"Thought so." CV chuckled. "TOTAL coward."

Blaze growled, and aimed his gun at CV. "Shut up or die."

"You'll find that right now, your gun is useless. In a shadow game, the weapons of humanity are meaningless." Blaze pulled the trigger, but nothing occurred. Looking at it, confused, he returned his focus to the duel.

"Now, if you're done interrupting, I'll place two cards facedown for later." Two face downs appeared.

"You are DEAD! You hear me? DEAD." Blaze drew. "I summon Insect Knight in attack mode!" A strange two legged insectoid warrior appeared.

Insect Knight: 1900/1500

"And I'll also play Pot of Greed!" He drew two cards. "That adds to my hand, and gives me more power to crush you with. Power like my Swords of Revealing Light!" The energy blades appeared all around CV and his monsters. XY switched to defense mode.

"Another coward move," said CV. "I thought you were a fighter."

"Oh, I am... INSECT KNIGHT! CRAB TURTLE! DESTROY HIS MONSTERS!" The two beasts surged forward. Insect Knight skewered Z-Metal Tank, and Crab Turtle demolished XY easily. Both exploded as the villain's monsters returned to his field. "And now, Ushi Oni, attack this fool directly!" Ushi Oni shot another arrow, and this time, there was no Waboku to block it. CV fell to his knees, holding his stomach.

CyberV: 1200

Blaze: 2000

"Your turn, punk."

CV stood up, pained, and drew. "I PLAY POT OF GREED!" The card appeared on the field. "Now I get two more cards, and that much closer to bringing you down!" He looked at his cards. "Perfect." He placed one facedown. It appeared. "One facedown, and that's all."

"Bad move," said Blaze. "ONI, ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY!"

The arrow flew at CV again, but he quickly discarded a card from his hand... and a Kuriboh appeared between him and the arrow that would nearly wipe him out.

"I just used the special ability of the Kuriboh I had in my hand," said CV. "Just like Waboku, he can reduce an attack to 0 damage."

"Fine," said Blaze. "First, Insect Knight will destroy your last monster!" Insect Knight charged forward, and sliced V-Tiger Jet in half. It shattered.

"And now, you'll be crushed by Crab Turtle!" Crab Turtle launched it's attack, and CV tapped a button on his disk.

"REVEAL SCAPEGOATS!"

"YEAH!" yelled Ashes. "Now he gets four goat tokens to defend himself with!" The Turtle's claw shattered one Scapegoat, but three remained.

"Guess this Turtle forgot the art of deception in Ninja school." CV chuckled. "This duel's far from over."

"I'd say you're just about finished," said Blaze. "Two more direct attacks, and you're mine."

"Says the coward hiding behind the Swords," said CV, as he drew. "Mystical Space Typhoon! I destroy the Swords of Revealing Light!" The swords shattered. "Now, I'm just about ready for my counter attack." 'And I need one last card to do it properly!' he added silently. I believe in this deck. I believe in my friends. I believe in fate and destiny. The next two turns decide everything!'

* * *

Poison couldn't believe how monumentally stupid the punks guarding the security station were. They were actually falling asleep. Astonishing, and terribly convenient for him. He quietly snuck up on the two punks, then shrugged, and said "HEY!"

They both looked up to see who was disturbing them, and Poison punched the first one out before he knew what was going on.

"You lousy..." The second swung at him with a club, but he caught it with his hand, punched the jerk in the throat, and slammed his skull into the wall. He was out like a light.

That took all of three seconds. Poison casually took the keys from the guards and opened the security guards. They were tied up, and he could see that the police had surrounded the mall. He began untying the security guards.

"Man, if Ramesus ever hears about this, he'll boot me out for sure..."

* * *

"My turn," said Blaze. "I equip Insect Knight with Double Attack." A spell appeared. "By discarding one card from my hand, Insect Knight can attack twice per turn. GO, DESTROY TWO OF HIS SCAPEGOATS WITH MANTIS STYLE SWORDSMANSHIP!" The Insect Knight complied, striking two Scapegoats, which shattered. The final one looked up and sweatdropped as Crab Turtle silently swatted it. It shattered into pixels.

"And now Ushi Oni will attack you directly!" Ushi Oni fired another arrow, and CV doubled over in agony, the sensations made even more realistic by the effect of the shadow game.

CyberV: 50

Blaze: 2000

"Next turn, you die," said Blaze.

"Next turn's the last one," said CV, as he looked at his deck. Of all the cards he had, there were three that would mean the difference now. Without that last card, he and his friends would surely die.

"You can do it..." said Jay softly.

"Come on..." urged Allis, terrified.

"Be the right card..." Mouse was sure it would be, but praying didn't hurt. Hikari, Ashes, and Nat could only watch. Drift groaned as he started to wake up.

CV drew... and grinned. "You lose."

"You're lying," said Blaze. "What did you draw?!"

"I drew the spell SOUL RELEASE!" CV held it up. "You see, this card allows me to remove up to five monsters from either of our graveyards. And I choose four of my own! That, combined with the two already removed when I formed XY-Dragon Cannon, will be more than enough to finish you off once and for all."

"How's that? Your field is empty except for..." Blaze suddenly got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "No... No, you wouldn't... You COULDN'T..."

"I CAN! REVEAL RETURN FROM THE DIFFERENT DIMENSION!" One of CV's face downs rose up, and thunder began to rumble. "By paying half my life points, I can summon up to five monsters removed from play, as long as they're returned at the end of the round." CV grinned. "I told you this was a Super Sentai deck, and now you're about to face your worst nightmare: AN OTAKU GEEK WITH HIS OWN MEGAZORD!"

"Oh no..." Hikari sweatdropped. "He did NOT just say that."

"He did..." Nat couldn't believe this. She suddenly missed Big Andy.

"GO FOR IT!" yelled Rocket Warrior.

"FINISH HIM OFF!" added the Flame Sprite. Red-Eyes just growled.

CyberV enjoyed the perplexed look on Blaze's face.

CyberV: 25

Blaze: 2000

He raised his hand up. "I NEED COMBAT VEHICLE POWER NOW!" One by one, the Vehicles began bursting forward, from the walls, the floor, the ceiling, damage not being done solely because they were, in essence, holograms. Still, the holographic rubble caused by their entrances was more than enough to create the illusion of five battle machines, united in a single purpose.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300

"They're all weak! I can crush all of them!" Blaze was feeling better. "Not that I need to. They'll all vanish at the end of your turn!"

"WRONG! COMBAT VEHICLES... COMBINE!" The five machines began shifting components. Y-Dragon Head folded in it's wings as it united with X and Z. Meanwhile, V and W united as well. "Meet VW Tiger Catapult and XYZ Dragon Cannon!" The two combined mecha were impressive indeed.

VW-Tiger Catapult: 2000/2100

XYZ-Dragon Cannon: 2800/2600

"You still can't win!" said Blaze. "You can nail two of my monsters, but not all three."

"Oh, do shut up," said CV. "I'm not finished yet. MEGAZORD MODE!" The two Vehicles united, with the Catapult attaching to the Dragon. Slowly, the XYZ formed a torso, legs, and arms.. even wings... While the Catapult formed an intimidating head.

"Meet the V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon!" The massive robot was ready for action.

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800

"But-"

"I said SHUT IT!" yelled CV. "Now that you have three monsters to my one, I can summon a friend directly from my hand to help out. See, in sentai, the five are usually joined by sixth! SO COME ON OUT, FIEND MEGACYBER!" CV placed the card into a monster zone, and it appeared. "Of course, I can only summon him thanks to his special ability... You outnumbering me three to one did the trick."

Fiend MegaCyber: 2200/1200

"And finally, I'll reveal... ANOTHER Return from the Different Dimension!" The last facedown rose up.

CyberV: 13

Blaze: 2000

"And now, VW and XYZ return, along with a special friend I discarded way back when I played Graceful Charity. My seventh Ranger, as it were. In case you were wondering, he was the fourth monster I removed using Soul Release."

VW and XYZ returned.

VW-Tiger Catapult: 2000/2100

XYZ-Dragon Cannon: 2800/2600

"And now to meet the final member of my core seven... ELEMENTAL HERO BLADEDGE!" The holographic smoke from the Vehicles' entrance cleared, revealing the shimmering warrior.

Elemental Hero Bladedge: 2600/1800

"Still think I can't win?" asked CV, as Blaze realized he was in deep trouble. "First things first! Fiend MegaCyber, destroy Ushi Oni! XYZ, blast Crab Turtle! Bladedge, slice and dice Insect Knight!"

Fiend MegaCyber bolted forward, crushing his target with Electrical Punch.

CyberV: 13

Blaze: 950

XYZ blasted Crab Turtle, shattering the monster into seafood special.

CyberV: 13

Blaze: 700

Bladedge rocketed forward, slicing open the Knight's armor like a soup can.

CyberV: 13

Blaze: 200

CV stood before Blaze, eyes glaring, Wdjat glowing again.

"This duel is over, Blaze. You are accused of harming the innocent, corrupting the just, and attempting to take that which does not belong to you. JUDGEMENT!" Blaze felt the power of the Shadows, now, as they swirled around him, before forming a cryptic X over his head. "GUILTY!" announced CV, to a now visibly shaken gang leader.

"FINISH IT," he said the V-Z. "VICTORY STRIKE!" VZ brought it's claws together down low, then rose them up to it's sides, taking them apart and forming an energy V. It them spun it's arms around, crossing them and encircling that V, before lashing out with both arms, creating a massive energy blast that struck Blaze head on, sending the gangleader flying into a wall. The mecha and monsters posed triumphantly before fading away.

CyberV: 13

Blaze: 0

"BLAZE!" One goon was shocked.

"BOSS!"

"He lost... No way..."

CyberV glared at the downed gang leader. "You have been defeated. And as per the rules of this Shadow Game, you play the Penalty Game!" He raised his hand towards Blaze. "PENALTY GAME: REDEMPTION THROUGH PAIN!" Everything went negative for Blaze, but he felt nothing.

"That didn't do anything..." he said as he raised his gun up. He started to pull the trigger, then screamed in sheer agony, dropping the gun.

"What'd he do to Blaze?!"

"I dunno..."

"From now on," said CV, "Whenever you even THINK of causing harm to another, you will feel the very harm you wish to cause. Perhaps one day, you will learn the way of kindness. May whatever God you worship have mercy upon your soul." CV turned away from the now helpless Blaze and towards his gang. "And you idiots have TWO SECONDS to get out of here and surrender to the authorities outside, or you'll suffer the same as Blaze! ONE! TWO!" The gangbangers ran for the exit, dropping their weapons. "I thought so." The Wdjat faded from CV's forehead, and he visibly relaxed.

"That... That was amazing..." Jay was absolutely floored as he came from his vantage point.

"Yeah, that was pretty cool," said Rocket Warrior. "For an Otaku Geek, anyway."

"But how did he... GAH!" Jay realized who he was seeing and hearing and fell on his rear. "You... But, how..."

"Oh, you can see me now, huh? Good," Rocket Warrior chuckled. "I was getting sick of being mistaken for a delusion. Say hello to Raging Flame Sprite and Red-Eyes Black Dragon." The Sprite waved and Red-Eyes roared. Jay just blinked and tried hard not to run.

Rocket Warrior looked around. "Huh, usually, when this happens, the new person gets a Spirit... But I don't see one..."

"Excuse me," said a powerful voice from behind Rocket Warrior. "I believe you are referring to ME." Rocket Warrior turned to see The Creator. There was a pause.

"That'll do it."

Blaze watched in disbelief as not only his body betrayed him, but his own gang. He silently swore revenge as he pulled himself up, and headed towards a prearranged exit.

"HEY! Blaze is getting away!" said Hikari.

"He's harmless now," said CV. "And we need to get Mouse and Drift medical attention." CV helped Mouse up, as he and Ashes each took one side. Hikari and Nat helped pull Drift up, even as he finally came to.

"Is... Is it over?"

"Yeah," said CV. "Blaze is finished, and so's his gang."

"Good... I just wish it could've been me taking him down."

"We'll save the next punk for you, how's that?" asked CV.

"Deal," said the dazed Duelist, as they all started for the door. Allis stood there, silently, relieved to be alive, and more sure than ever that she wanted to be by Ikke's side.

"Hey, guys! Wait up!" Said Jay as he ran to catch up, followed by four Spirits.

"Oh no," said Ashes. "ANOTHER ONE!"

"Another what?" asked Nat.

"It's a duel spirit thing," said CV.

"Man, this school's gonna get crowded..." muttered Hikari.

* * *

Blaze ran towards the manhole cover his people had found. Through it, he could get through to the sewers and freedom. Then, he'd make those Academy Punks pay. ALL of them.

Including the one that stood in his path even now.

"Get out of my way or else." He aimed the gun at Poison, who grinned. "Let's play a game. See, I'm not as nice as CyberV, but I still like to give a guy a fair chance. If you can hit me, you go free. If you can't, you play MY Penalty Game."

"Fine." Blaze swung with his fist, and screamed in agony again, dropping to his knees, almost whimpering from the pain.

"Pretty nasty for a good guy," noted Poison. "But, well, you were gonna kill the lady I love, and that I simply can't let pass. You've lost my game, and now you pay. PENALTY GAME! POISON SOUL!" Everything went negative for Blaze again, but this time, he simply collapsed.

"Let your soul rot forever in the Shadow Realm." Poison stepped over the comatose gang leader's body. "As for me, I'll crush ANYONE that threatens Hikari. ANYONE."

No one heard his vow.

* * *

CV watched silently as Mouse and Drift were loaded into an ambulance. They'd be okay in the long run. Several others were being treated for minor injuries, and all the gang was being carted to jail, except Blaze.

"Well, this day stank on ice," said Ashes. "Lousy movie, hostage situation..."

"Being subjected to the Dork's obsessions..." added Hikari.

"But it's all over now," said Nat. "Right?"

"I wonder," said Jay, wary of all the Spirits surrounding them. "CV's pulled some strange stunts before, but this was pretty huge. He's DEFINITELY transforming."

"But into WHAT?" asked CV. "...Or WHO?"

No one had an answer...

Next Time: Soul of the Sorcerer! We Believe in Magyk!


	15. We Believe in Magyk!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Magyk, the top spellcaster duelist in the Academy, lost his title to Poison in an intense showdown, and began drifting towards joining the Good Duelists. It was revealed that Jimbo had a frightening connection to Anubis, an old enemy of Yugi's, and possessed the remains of the Pyramid of Light. During an intense confrontation with the gang leader Blaze, Mouse and Drift were seriously hurt, while CyberV revealed more of his power, and Jay acquired a Duel Spirit of his own.

* * *

"I don't think I can do it." Magyk looked away as he said that to LazyMan. They were in LazyMan's office, a place aptly referred to as the "Bad News Zone" by just about everyone that had ever stepped foot into it.

"We need you," said LazyMan empathetically. "Mouse is still recovering in the hospital, and Drift's not quite healed from a concussion. We're shorthanded, and you're one of our strongest allies. We need you on the team officially, to bolster the upper ranks and keep spirits up."

"But I'm not the best. Not anymore. Poison took that away."

"He took a meaningless title," said LazyMan. "Duelists aren't made by titles. They're made by actions."

"Pretty words, coming from a man with a title," said Magyk. LazyMan nodded, accepting Magyk's point.

"That doesn't change the fact that we need you, Magyk." Magyk brushed the comment off.

"You're lying," he said as he got up to leave. "No one settles for second best." Without another word, he exited, the door closing behind him with finality.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 15: Soul of the Sorcerer! We Believe in Magyk!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Kasil, Necrofear, and E-Hero-What

* * *

"You know, Ikke, I've been thinking."

"Oh no..." Ikke groaned inwardly. It'd been a week since he and CyberV had even exchanged words, and not very friendly ones at that. The frivolity of CV's tone meant only one thing. Annoyance was imminent. He clenched the megaphone in his hands tightly.

"Yes, it's true. I'm not one to rest on my laurels... Not that beating a dangerous gang leader and saving the day isn't an accomplishment, but still... Like I said, I've been thinking."

Ikke could already feel a migraine coming on. Security cameras at the mall had captured the entire duel in question. It wasn't often that lives were saved through a duel, and it had gotten national attention. Strictly flavor of the week stuff, but once more, the Arcane Academy was in the news, and the internet was abuzz with ridiculous rumors about what exactly went on within the walls. For his part, CV seemed to be taking it largely in stride. Almost like he was distracted by something.

"Thinking about what?"

"That Forrest Gump was right. Life IS like a box of chocolates."

Ikke paused and looked at CV incredulously. "Come again?"

"Well, no matter what you get, you're probably not gonna like it. Now, here's my theory. Say you take a box of chocolates, and you see that they haven't left you a guide to say what's what. Now, what do you do? You can't just bite into it. What if you're allergic? No, you've got to break it open and hope for the best."

"Oh god..." Ikke already regretting taking the bait.

"Now, say you crack open a cherry. Me, I hate cherry. It runs everywhere, gets my fingers all sticky, and it just ruins the flavor of the chocolate. So I rush to a sink, I wash it off, and make sure it didn't stain my school uniform, because lord knows they're dry clean only, and that gets expensive... Anyway, assuming there's no stain, there's nothing to do but move onto the next one. Usually, it's some really nasty mint, and it feels like you're eating toothpaste. It makes food taste funny and your teeth hurt if they're sensitive. Takes a good five minutes easy to get the taste out of your mouth, and by then, your good mood is ruined. Know what I mean?"

Ikke growled.

"Of course you do!" CV slapped Ikke on the back. "See, we're practically kindred spirits, you and I!"

"Not likely."

"Oh, now, don't be like that. I mean, there's so much more to discuss. I mean, sooner or later, you gotta decide which you want more, the milk chocolate, the dark chocolate, or the white chocolate, which really isn't chocolate, but they group it in with the others anyway. Now, it's just like our lives. There's the white chocolate, that's us in the Good Duelists. There's the dark Chocolate, for the Evil ones. Then the Milk is for everyone in the middle. So even as you decide which flavor you like best, you gotta choose whether to go for it quickly, or have the other stuff first, to end it on a high note. And even then, you have to be really careful. Do you get peanut butter, which leaves you thirsty, or caramel, which might gum up dental work? Pleasure, then pain. That's life for you, in a nutshell. Or a candy box, as it were." CV grinned. He was on a roll.

"And after that, you have to worry about how much to have. Too little, and you're not satisfied. Too much, and you'll regret it in the morning. You gotta find just the right balance for you to achieve happiness, or it's all for nothing and you're back to where you started, but without the chocolate."

Ikke nodded, just trying to find an escape.

"Well then, this lesson extends beyond chocolate, obviously. Take Skittles, for example. Regular, tropical, sour, smoothie... Literally an endless number of combinations and colors, but do you ever really get enough of what you want? I mean, you buy a bag of Skittles. You open it up, pour it out, and you find out there's only one strawberry, and you love strawberry. You feel like you've wasted your time, and that there's too much lime. It's always a mixed bag, but never evenly, just like life. So, what you do is-"

"STOP IT!" Ikke threw the megaphone to the ground, where it shattered. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, SHUT UP!"

CV reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. He opened it. "Chocolate?"

Ikke glared at him. CV reached into his other pocket and pulled out a candy bag. "Skittles?"

Ikke screamed in impotent rage and stalked off. CV stood there, and snickered. "I can't believe that actually WORKED."

"That was cruel, deviant, and inhumane," said Rocket Warrior as he appeared next to CV. "I approve!"

"I try." CV sighed. "Well, that was fun while it lasted."

"You're still worried, aren't you?" Ashes walked up behind him.

"Yeah," said CV. "The transformations. It creeps me out. I don't know where it comes from, or what it does to me. One minute, I'm a normal duelist, the next I'm practically a super hero."

"It is a bit strange... I remember what you did to Jimbo. Was that...?"

"I... I don't know. Maybe a little."

"Have you tried talking to anyone about it? Mokuba? Yugi?"

"No, what would I say? I might have a Yami that does crazy things to people, or I might be going insane? They'd lock me up with Big Andy. Heck, how can I have a Yami when I don't have the Scepter, anyway?"

His clenched fists told the story. He was very, very afraid of what he might do the next time the change came.

"We'll figure it out," said Ashes, concerned for her friend. "I promise, we'll be there to bring you back if you go too far."

"How do you know you won't get caught in the crossfire?" asked CV. "The change saved lives this time, but what about the next? What if I suddenly try to hurt Ikke? A joke's a joke, but..."

"You won't. We all believe in you. And that won't ever change."

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Jay bolted from his dorm room. "STOP FOLLOWING ME!" The Creator came through the wall.

"Have I somehow offended you, young one?"

"No, YOU JUST SCARE THE SPIT OUT OF ME!"

"I fail to see why. I am in your deck. We are bonded spiritually."

"It's... Oh, forget it..." Jay turned away from The Creator.

"You fear for your sanity?"

"Yeah... I guess so. I mean, I didn't believe Ashes or CV when they said they could see Spirits, and now you're hovering around me all the time."

"I see. You have trouble adjusting your beliefs to mesh with what you know to be true."

"That, and it's creepy as heck to have a big orange guy following me everywhere. I mean, now I have to look over my shoulder to use the bathroom!"

"I apologized for that already. I misunderstood when you referred to it as a throne."

Jay shuddered. "I just... I just need time to adjust, okay?"

Behind Jay, Red-Eyes appeared and roared. Jay jumped. "STOP THAT!"

"He thinks it's funny." Red-Eyes seemed to snicker, but it was hard to tell.

"He would..."

* * *

Jimbo's eyes snapped open as he laid upon his bed. He felt something that he had missed since before coming to the Academy. Since... Since THAT day.

"You can see me again." Jimbo grinned as he heard the voice, for the first time since his encounter with Anubis. He turned to see the Mystic Swordsman, the same monster that had saved him that fateful day. He sat up to look the spirit in the eyes.

"You're back."

"I never left you. But I cannot abide the path you now take. It is a path of pain and horror. You must not follow this madman's plans. They will destroy you." The spirit seemed genuinely saddened. "You once had a good heart, before the horrors perpetrated upon you."

"I can take care of myself," said Jimbo, disappointed that the reunion, sudden and unexpected as it was, wasn't more pleasant.

"That I do not doubt, but the darkness will consume you." It glanced towards the drawer by Jimbo's bed. "You still possess the remains of the Pyramid of Light. You must destroy them, before an evil even greater than Ramesus is unleashed."

"I'm not gonna use it... Not yet, anyway."

"Please, you must reconsider these actions."

"NO! I've suffered too much already to turn back!" Images flashed through his mind. The duels with Jay, the fiery penalty game, the humiliation CyberV handed to him... No, he would not rest until they suffered dearly.

"Then I am already too late..." Saddened, the spirit faded away. Jimbo let it go. He'd noticed something else.

He felt stronger. He wasn't quite sure, but he'd begun to feel, finally, the power Ramesus had promised the day he'd stolen the Scepter. Maybe it was his imagination, maybe not. There was only one way to be sure.

It was time to reap some souls.

* * *

Magyk roamed the halls, lost in thought.

'Maybe I SHOULD reconsider,' he pondered. 'Do some good with my talent...' He shook his head. 'No, not while I can't be sure I'd be able to give it my all. I mean, it's not like back when I started here. The stakes are higher now, and back then, I was at my very best...'

* * *

The Past...

"Gather 'round, one and all!" Magyk appeared on stage in the school auditorium in a flash of light and smoke. "It's time for some MAGYK!" There was applause, of course. He'd been doing this show for the last month, ever since his invitation from Fizzy Pony, a senior and purported leader of the Good Duelists. But he really wasn't sure why the Arcane Academy had wanted him. True, he was a decent spellcaster duelist, but overall, he was far more interested in putting on a good show. He'd honestly take cutting someone in half over dueling. After all, every good illusionist did their best not to get caught up in the moment, and that was hard to do when surrounded by holographic monsters that many claimed were once real.

His impromptu performances, utterly unofficial, were becoming the equivalent of raves. Invitations were strictly monitored, and great care was made to insure that the professors wouldn't find out, as such exhibitionism was frowned upon. That was a shame, as every magician needed an audience to amaze. He'd always loved the art of illusion, even studied up on the greats, figuring out their tricks and twisting them to suit his own purpose.

Even now, as he prepared to make a fellow student disappear, dueling was the furthest thing from his mind... Until, in a burst of light and smoke, his performance was interrupted. He sighed inwardly. He should have known that it was only a matter of time before the school's OTHER spellcasting specialist put in an appearance.

"Hello, Poison..."

Poison stepped from the smoke, disk at the ready, an overconfident smirk on his face. "I see my reputation precedes me. Not surprising... All magic hacks study their betters."

"Hack?" Magyk raised an eyebrow, amused. "I only see one here."

Poison glared at him. "You and I should duel, to determine who here is truly the master of magicians!"

Magyk shrugged. "You can have the title. It's meaningless to me."

Poison flopped. "YOU CAN'T JUST GIVE IT TO ME! I have to earn it!"

"I'll forfeit the duel and you can have the title, if it means you getting off the stage so I can get back to the show."

Poison glared at him. The student volunteer slowly snuck off the stage and back to her seat.

"Not good enough. Shuffle your deck, pal.. time for... MAGICAL DUEL!"

"...Dude, did you just quote Fairly Oddparents?"

"SHUT IT AND PLAY!"

Magyk: 8000

Poison: 8000

"LET'S MAKE SOME MAGYK!" said the embattled illusionist as he drew a card. "...I end my turn." Poison flopped again.

"TAKE THIS DUEL SERIOUSLY, BLAST IT!" He drew. "One monster facedown." A card appeared. "That's it."

The crowd began to boo.

"Not giving them much of a show, are we?" asked Magyk. "Well then, how about a card trick? I PLAY NOBLEMAN OF CROSSOUT!" A spell card rose up, and an armored knight leapt from it, striking the facedown card and shattering it. "Nobleman destroys one facedown monster on the field."

"I know."

"The way you made YOUR opening move, I couldn't be sure."

"At least I MADE one!"

"Details, details..." Magyk brushed off the criticism. "I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in attack mode!" A dangerous woman appeared, brandishing a blade.

D.D. Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"Meet my assistant. She'll show you a sword trick now." The Warrior Lady nodded and sprang forward, slashing Poison.

Magyk: 8000

Poison: 6500

"My turn." Poison drew. "SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!" Energy blades erupted all around Magyk's field, and Warrior Lady switched to defense. "For the next three turns, you can't attack!"

"I see you enjoy sword tricks then," said Magyk.

"Oh, I do, but I also enjoy the occasional seance. Show him what I mean, Kycco!" A strange shaman appeared.

Kycco the Ghost Destroyer: 1800/700

"Now show his Lady some REAL magic!" Kycco unleashed his beads, and Warrior Lady shattered.

Magyk: 7700

Poison: 6500

"And you forgot Warrior Lady's special ability," said Magyk. When she's destroyed, I can remove her and the monster that destroyed her from play!" Kycco shattered.

Poison glared, and Magyk shrugged. The duel was truly on now.

* * *

Magyk smiled, softly. It was a vicious battle, and over something he'd imagined absolutely meaningless... a title.

Oh, how times changed...

* * *

The past...

"My turn." Magyk drew. "One card face down." It appeared.

"That's it? Pathetic." Poison drew, and Magyk grinned.

"Is it? REVEAL DUST TORNADO!" The card rose up, and the Swords of Revealing Light shattered.

"Blast it..." Poison looked at his hand. "One monster face down." A card appeared.

"And you call MY moves bad..." Magyk sighed. "I summon Apprentice Magician, and activate a spell card as well... Magical Dimension!" The monster and the card appeared, and suddenly the Magician was encased within a glass cage. "Here's how it works. First, I can sacrifice one monster on the field to summon a spellcaster from my hand." Smoke filled the cage, and from the smoke emerged Magical Marionette.

Magical Marionette: 2000/1000

"Second, I can now destroy one monster on your field." Poison's monster card flipped to reveal Witch of the Black Forest. She shattered.

"Third, you just activated my Witch's special ability." Poison chuckled. "Now I can add one monster with 1500 or fewer attack points from my deck to my hand." He did so.

"Doesn't matter," said Magyk, waving off the move as a trifle. "And here's the reason why. Marionette's strings!" Puppets appeared all around Poison, slapping him and giggling as they did so.

Magyk: 7700

Poison: 4500

"That ends my turn."

"Oh, that's IT!" Poison growled. "One monster and one spell, both facedown." Two cards appeared. "Attack me. I DARE you."

"Very well. I set one card face down." A card appeared in the spell zone. "And now, I'll do as you wish." Puppets appeared and attacked the card, which rose up to reveal Obnoxious Celtic Guardian.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian: 1400/1200

"Nice try, but my monster isn't destroyed when in battle with monsters with more than 1900 attack!" The Guardian swatted the marionettes away. They cried and vanished.

"Now, that wasn't nice... I play Magical Dimension again!" Marionette entered the box.

"WHAT?!"

"I figured an encore was in order. In any case, farewell Marionette, welcome Dark Magician of Chaos!" A black garbed sorcerer emerged from the smoke.

Dark Magician of Chaos: 2800/2600

"And I'll use the Dimension's effect to destroy your Guardian!" Guardian shattered. "Not to mention that, since he was special summoned successfully, I get a spell back from the graveyard thanks to his special ability." A card ejected from Magyk's graveyard.

Poison didn't like how this was going. "One monster face down."

"I'll do that, too." A card appeared on each side of the field.

"And one more," said Poison, a third materializing.

"And I'll flip mine," said Magyk, as he revealed Old Vindictive Magician.

Old Vindictive Magician: 450/600

"Now he can destroy one monster on your field." One of Poison's face downs shattered.

"And now, attack the other with Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician of Chaos slammed his staff upon the ground, and black energy lashed out at the facedown monster. It materialized, revealing Gravekeeper's Spy, which shattered.

"That activates Gravekeeper's Spy's special ability. Now I can summon a gravekeeper to the field with 1500 or fewer attack points." Another Gravekeeper's Spy appeared in defense mode.

Gravekeeper's Spy: 1200/2000

Magyk nodded. "Well, go already. If it helps, you've actually got an opening."

Poison ignored the crack. "One card facedown, and I summon Magical Scientist." A strange man appeared.

Magical Scientist: 300/300

"Now, I can pay 1000 life points to summon any six star or lower fusion monster from my fusion deck. True, I can't attack you directly with them, but you'll enjoy what happens all the same. I spend 2000 life points to summon two of Sanwitch!"

Magyk: 7700

Poison: 2500

Two Sanwitch appeared, but vanished. "Now I can sacrifice both of them to special summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic!" A new spellcaster emerged.

Sorcerer of Dark Magic: 3200/2800

"And thanks to his special ability, now any trap card you activate will be destroyed."

Magyk was impressed, despite himself. An excellent monster. "And while I COULD nail that weakling Old Vindictive, I think I'll take out your heavy hitter instead. "DESTROY DARK MAGICIAN OF CHAOS WITH BLACK MAGIC BURST!" The Sorcerer raised his staff, and a black energy orb enveloped Dark Magician of Chaos, shattering him.

Magyk: 7300

Poison: 2500

"That removes him from play," said Magyk. Not that it mattered at the moment.

"And I'll set one card face down," said Poison. It appeared. "Go."

"I play Smashing Ground!" A spell appeared. "This will destroy the monster with the highest defense, namely your Sorcerer."

"Guess again. REVEAL IMPERIAL ORDER!" The card Poison had just set arose to reveal the trap. "As long as this card remains on the field, I pay 700 points during my standby phases, but all spells are negated."

Magyk felt himself sweat just a little as Smashing Ground faded, useless.

"I switch my Magician to defense mode." Old Vindictive Magician knelt down.

"My turn then. Now, I don't feel like paying 700 life points, so Imperial Order is destroyed." The card shattered. "And now I summon the Gemini Elf!" Two female elves appeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"And now, Sorcerer of Dark Magic, destroy his only defense!" A dark energy orb shattered Old Vindictive Magician.

Magyk drew, and cursed inwardly. He only had another Old Vindictive. "One card facedown." It appeared in his monster zone.

"And we'll try Smashing Ground again. Say goodbye to the Sorcerer!"

"WRONG! Reveal Shift!" A trap card appeared. "This changes the target of a spell, trap, or attack to another target, so I keep my Sorcerer, and lose my Gemini Elf instead!" The ground opened up, swallowing the Elf.

Cursing inwardly, Magyk ended his turn.

"I summon another Gravekeeper's Spy!" A second Spy appeared. "And I'll switch my other one to attack mode." The first one rose up.

Gravekeeper's Spy (second): 1200/2000

"I'll also play change of heart to swipe your facedown monster." Old Vindictive rose up and moved to Poison's side of the field.

"ALL OUT MAGICAL ATTACK!" yelled Poison, as all five monsters under his command let loose. Magyk had to shut his eyes to keep from being blinded as he felt all the attacks at once.

Magyk: 1350

Poison: 2500

"I end my turn," said Poison, as the Old Vindictive Magician, now useless, returned to it's owner.

"I'd better make this move count," muttered Magyk. "I PLAY SNATCH STEAL!" The card appeared. "It gives you 1000 life points during each of your standby phases, but you're not getting one. I now get to take control of one of your monsters. Welcome to the winning team, Sorcerer!" Sorcerer vanished from Poison's field, and reappeared on Magyk's side. "This duel ends now! DESTROY MAGICAL SCIENTIST WITH DARK ENERGY ORB!" The stolen monster raised it's staff, and the Magical Scientist, the weakest link in Poison's army, shattered.

"NO! NO!"

Magyk: 1350

Poison: 0

"I guess now we know who the better magician is, don't we?" The monsters faded as Poison dropped to his knees in disbelief.

The audience, which had, until now, watched in rapt silence, applauded.

"He IS the best spellcaster in the school!"

"WE BELIEVE IN MAGYK! WE BELIEVE IN MAGYK! WE BELIEVE IN MAGYK!"

Magyk didn't notice as Poison got up and faded into the shadows. He as too busy basking in this new limelight. He was the best now... He had the title... and it felt so good...

* * *

Magyk opened his eyes, remembering how Poison had later crushed him and claimed the title. Maybe, just maybe, Poison had done him a favor. Since he'd gotten the title, he'd worn it like a badge... He'd gotten sloppy, overconfident...

Maybe-

"Now you and I are gonna have ourselves a shadow game..."

"But... But I don't want to-"

"You don't have a choice."

Magyk narrowed his eyes. He knew that voice. He turned a corner and saw Jimbo threatening a younger duelist, who obviously wasn't very experienced.

"Now get your deck out so I can rip your soul apart already."

"BACK OFF!" Magyk stepped forward and pulled Jimbo off of the kid. He glanced at the terrified duelist. "Get out of here. I've got this covered."

Jimbo yanked free and chuckled. "YOU? Please. You're nothing. Poison proved that already."

"Then you've got nothing to lose."

Taking that as an insult to his courage, Jimbo growled. "You're on. But if you lose, your soul is mine."

"And if you lose, you have to stop forcing people into duels."

"Agreed. LET'S DUEL!"

'I don't need to be the best,' thought Magyk. 'I just have to be good enough to make a difference!'

Both disks extended to play mode.

Magyk: 8000

Jimbo: 8000

"I'll go first," said Magyk as he drew. "One monster and one spell, both facedown." Two cards appeared.

"Won't last long," said Jimbo. "I play Heavy Storm!"

Magyk watched as the field was cleared of magic.

"Okay then, one spell facedown, and that's enough," said Jimbo. A card appeared.

"My turn! I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior in attack mode!" Breaker appeared.

Breaker the Magical Warrior: 1600/1000

"And his special ability gives me one spell counter when he's normal summoned successfully... a token which I can sacrifice to destroy your facedown!" Jimbo's magic card shattered.

"Now, I'll reveal my facedown monster, Apprentice Magician, but only so I can play Magical Dimension!" Apprentice Magician materialized inside a glass box, which filled with smoke until a new monster emerged. "Behold the rarest of all spellcasters, the Dark Magician Girl!" The female magician flew from the smoke and winked.

Dark Magician Girl: 2000/1700

"Now attack him together, my monsters! Show him the error of the path of darkness!" The two monsters brought their weapons together, and a massive energy blast erupted forth, slamming into Jimbo.

Magyk: 8000

Jimbo: 4100

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared.

Jimbo growled. "You won't stop me! NO ONE WILL EVER HUMILIATE ME AGAIN!" He placed a card into his disk. "I summon Exiled Force!" Several warriors appeared. "And activate their special ability! By sacrificing this card, I can destroy one monster on your field! GO, DESTROY THE DARK MAGICIAN GIRL!"

The horde of warriors surged forward. The Dark Magician girl screamed as they grabbed her, pulling her into darkness.

"And now I play the spell Premature Burial." A card appeared face up. "By paying 800 life points, I can bring back Exiled Force!"

Magyk: 8000

Jimbo: 3300

The Exiled Force reappeared, frighteningly with an effigy of Dark Magician Girl carved onto their shields.

Exiled Force: 1000/1000

Magyk drew, and groaned in disgust at his hand. "I pass."

"Then I'll just set one monster, and that'll do." Jimbo's newest facedown monster card appeared on the field.

"My turn!" Magyk drew. "I summon Kycco the Ghost Destroyer!" Kycco appeared.

Kycco the Ghost Destroyer: 1800/700

"Now, destroy his facedown monster!" Kycoo's beads surrounded the facedown, which revealed itself as Mystic Swordsman LV4 before shattering.

"That's it this turn."

"I was expecting as much," said Jimbo. "You ARE pathetic I mean, little Arnold lasted longer than this." He drew. "I summon Tsukuyomi in attack mode!" Tsukuyomi appeared.

Tsukuyomi: 1100/1400

"Now, attack Kycoo!" As Jimbo said this, Kycoo inexplicably switched to defense mode. Jimbo laughed. "Your monsters get switched to defense mode whenever Tsukuyomi attacks, making them easy prey. Sure, the monster returns to my hand at the end of the turn, but in no time, you'll run out of monsters!"

"WRONG! You're not getting it back, and I'm not losing Kycoo! REVEAL SAKURETSU ARMOR!" Mystical armor appeared around Kycoo. "Now the attacking monster gets destroyed! GET HIM, KYCOO, WITH SAKURETSU SLASH!" Kycoo lashed out with it's blade, shattering Tsukuyomi. The Sakuretsu armor vanished.

"Blast it..." Jimbo clenched his fist as he placed one card in the spell zone. "One card facedown." It appeared.

"I'll place one monster facedown," said Magyk. "And I'll return Kycoo to attack mode." Kycoo stood up. "Now attack with Spirit beads!" The beads launched again, but Jimbo laughed. "You fell for my trap! Reveal Call of the Haunted!" Call of the Haunted rose up. "I equip this to my Mystic Swordsman LV4!" Mystic Swordsman LV4 reemerged from death, taking the hit and deflecting it.

Mystic Swordsman LV4: 1900/1600

Magyk: 7900

Jimbo: 3300

"Fine. One card facedown." A card appeared.

Jimbo drew. "I play the spell Level Up! Now I can tribute my Mystic Swordsman for a stronger model!" The card appeared, and Mystic Swordsman began to change.

"WRONG! REVEAL BOOK OF MOON!" Magyk's facedown appeared. "This switches one monster on the field to defense mode! I choose Mystic Swordsman LV4!" The glowing Swordsman ceased to do so, and faded into his card. "Now Level Up loses it's target!" Level Up shattered.

"Then I'll just flip it face up again!" Mystic Swordsman LV4 reappeared. "And I'll also summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke!" The ninja appeared.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"Now, Ninja, attack his facedown!" The Ninja threw kunai blades at the facedown, which flips to reveal Old Vindictive Magician, which shattered, even as it cast a spell that shattered it's attacker. "Sorry, but Old Vindictive Magician never dies alone." Magyk shrugged. "He's a cranky geezer."

"You're still gonna be helpless! MYSTIC SWORDSMAN LV4, ATTACK KYCOO!" The Swordsman leapt into the air and slashed Kycoo in two.

Magyk: 7800

Jimbo: 3300

"And now I'll end my turn, which means Mystic Swordsman levels up to 6!" The Swordsman glowed again, and this time, Magyk couldn't stop it.

Mystic Swordsman lv6: 2300/1700

"Next turn, you die," said Jimbo, "And your soul will writhe in torment in the shadow realm forever."

"You paint such a LOVELY image..." Magyk drew, and grinned. "Too bad it's a fantasy I'm gonna crush. I play Smashing Ground!" The card appeared, and the ground shook. "This destroys the monster on the field with the highest defense, and you've got the only monster! Say bye bye." Swordsman shattered.

"NO!"

"Yes." said Magyk. "I may not be the best, but I'm more than enough for the likes of you! I summon Skilled Dark Magician!" Skilled Dark Magician appeared, holding it's scepter and smirking, knowing what was about to happen.

Skilled Dark Magician: 1900/1700

"That's not enough to finish me," said Jimbo. "I'll come back and crush you."

Magyk sighed. "Now I know why you force people to duel you. You're too weak for anyone to challenge. I'll play the spell Double Attack, and discard a Dark Magician from my hand. Now my monster can attack you twice this turn."

Jimbo's eyes went wide. "NO! YOU CAN'T!"

"I can, and I will. FINISH THIS DUEL WITH DOUBLE DARK SPELL!" The Skilled Dark Magician raised it's scepter and fired two blasts of spectral energy at Jimbo, who screamed as he dropped to his knees.

Magyk: 7800

Jimbo: 0

"Not again! NOT AGAIN!" Jimbo hit the floor. "I can't be humiliated like this! NOT AGAIN!"

"Again." Magyk turned away from Jimbo and left without another word. Jimbo watched him go, hatred filling his vision and his heart.

* * *

LazyMan looked up as he heard a knock on his door. He was surprised to see Magyk standing there.

"I've reconsidered. I've finally figured it out."

"Oh?"

"It's not how good someone is, it's how much good they can do." Magyk smiled. "I'm in."

* * *

Jimbo found his way back to his dorm room, and, disgusted, tossed his deck and disk into the corner.

"Turn away from the darkness," said the Spirit again. He ignored it, and instead reached for a drawer. He opened it up to reveal the Amulet his father had made from the Pyramid of light.

"No one will EVER humiliate me again..." Jimbo picked up the Amulet, and placed it around his neck.

As it began to glow, he felt the uncontrollable urge to laugh...

* * *

"I still think it's silly to be afraid of these powers," said Ashes. "They've done a lot of good."

CV shrugged. "Maybe, but they're still dangerous and unpredictable. Yeah, they may have saved you the first time, but look at the disaster they almost caused last week."

"You saved us."

"I nearly got everyone killed."

* * *

In the shadows, Ramesus and Ryu Kokki watched. Ramesus could see the two spirits, Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon, swirling around the Warrior like guardian angels.

But Angels could fall.

Silently, Ramesus raised his arm up, and released some of his dark shadow power into the two Spirits. They didn't notice. He watched as the two duelists walked on, oblivious to his subtle spell.

"It is done," said Ryu Kokki. "Soon, nothing will stand in your way."

"Very true," said Ramesus. "Because by the time the sun sets, his Spirits will destroy one another, and with it, any hope that the Warrior ever had of victory..."

The Wdjat appeared on Ramesus' head, glowing blood red...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Into the Realm of Monsters! The Duel Spirits Clash!


	16. Into the Realm of Monsters!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh!: the Arcane Chronicles: Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba were drawn to the realm of monsters to free the Legendary Dragons and save two worlds from the power of the Oricalcos. Their guide was the Dark Magician Girl. CyberV's anxiety over his growing shadow powers has become evident, following the most recent incident at the mall. Meanwhile, Ramesus has gained a spirit of his own, and cast a strange spell upon Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior...

* * *

The young man opened his eyes. He felt a disturbance in the balance between good and evil, one that could have disastrous consequences.

He wondered if the time had come to step in and interfere.

* * *

The girl gasped as she felt the border between her realm and the human realm began to weaken. But it was too soon! Far too soon for such a thing to happen! Something was wrong, terribly wrong!

Dark Magician Girl watched the border with despair, for evil was about to return to her home...

* * *

CyberV and Ashes walked the corridors of the Academy together.

"Have you ever noticed something?" asked Ashes.

"What do you mean?" CV was confused.

"The duel spirits. It's almost like they're connected to your powers. You had a flare-up at the warehouse, and suddenly the Flame Sprite was there, protecting me from an explosion."

CV nodded. "And again, at the mall. The power flared up, and suddenly Jay's getting followed around by the Creator. But nothing happened when they flared up during my duel with Hikari."

"Nothing we know about," said Ashes. "There were hundreds of people in the arena. Any one of them might have wound up with a spirit, just like I did."

"But if we look at it as a pattern, it should have been someone close to me. I don't see Mokuba or LazyMan talking to thin air..."

"Maybe we're wrong then," pondered Ashes. "But I guess we won't know for sure unless someone comes forward with a duel monster hovering around their head."

"We don't hover... We float gracefully, allowing the blessed few to bask in our presence." Rocket Warrior mock scoffed. Red-Eyes just growled. Of course. Not being able to talk could be annoying at times.

"Oh come on now. I think they're in the middle of serious talk." The Flame Sprite appeared to admonish Rocket Warrior.

"I don't do serious, I do biting sarcasm. And the occasional bit of snideness."

"Oh come on, guys..." muttered CV. "It's getting a bit tired and-" CV stopped as a blinding light suddenly filled the corridor. "What the?!"

"Beautiful, isn't it?" They turned to see Ramesus, arms crossed, all attitude, swagger, and confidence.

"Ramesus..."

"And... a friend." From his shadow, Ryu Kokki emerged, grinning demonically.

"I think we just found the final spirit," muttered CV.

"Quite so. A generous gift, I point out." Ramesus chuckled. "But now the time has come to return the favor... I'll give your spirits the experience of a lifetime... A ONE WAY TRIP BACK HOME!"

"Oh, this CAN'T be good..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 16: Into the Realm of Monsters! The Duel Spirits Clash!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"No, it isn't good," said Ramesus. "Not for you, anyway." He raised his hand, and suddenly Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior felt immense pressure, pulling them towards the light.

"What are you doing to them?!" demanded Ashes.

"Sending them home, but they won't be going alone." The blood red wdjat appeared on Ramesus' forehead, and suddenly two of CV's deck holders flew off his belt and into the portal.

"NO!"

"Yes." Ramesus grinned. "Those were your original decks, and without their focal cards, those spirits of your's..." Rocket Warrior lost his grip and slipped through the light. Red-Eyes braced itself, but even that massive monster's power wasn't enough. It too was pulled into the light.

"GUYS! COME BACK!" CV couldn't believe it.

"This can't be happening..." said the Flame Sprite.

"It is happening. See you on the other side, if you have the courage." Without hesitation, Ramesus and Ryu Kokki stepped forward, and into the light, which began to fade.

"No you don't!" Without thinking, CV leapt into the light, just as it faded.

Ashes rubbed her eyes, but she found that she and the Sprite were suddenly all alone in the corridor.

They looked at each other and had the same thought. "We need help!"

* * *

CV reflected that, in retrospect, jumping through an unknown light into another world was not the brightest thing he'd ever done.

Of course, realizing that at about five hundred feet up was a fairly bad thing.

It wasn't his imminent splattering across the countryside that terrified him, though. For the first time since his arrival at the Academy, he was truly alone. No friends, and no Spirits by his side.

"This is, officially, THE WORST FIELD TRIP I HAVE EVER BEEN ON!"

"Oh come on, I'm sure you've had worse," said a girl's voice as he suddenly felt someone grab him by the arm. He felt his momentum slow to a crawl, and he looked to his right to see the Dark Magician Girl, obviously using her powers to slow his descent to something other than fatal.

"Uhhh..." He was at a loss for words, a circumstance that, under different circumstances, he was sure Ikke would have celebrated. "Hello..."

"You must be from the human realm. We haven't had visitors from your side in ages."

"You're the Dark Magician Girl... That means he really did it. He brought me to another dimension..."

"Wait..." The Dark Magician Girl didn't like the sound of that. "You mean there's more than just you here?"

"Yes... My duel spirits. A very dangerous man abducted them and brought them to this realm. I followed him through a portal and found myself up there." Even now, they were reaching the ground gracefully. As soon as his feet touched the floor, CV breathed a sigh of relief. "Ummm... Pardon me for a moment." He dropped to his hands and knees and began kissing the ground. "I'll never leave you again, I promise!"

DMG sweatdropped. "You're a very strange human, aren't you?"

CV stood up. "I get that a lot."

"Sigh... Never mind..." DMG shook it off. "You said your duel spirits were taken?"

"Yes, a Red-Eyes Black Dragon and a Rocket Warrior. By a man with a Ryu Kokki."

"And how did you get duel spirits?"

"It's a long story. Suffice to say, this man, Ramesus, has stolen more than just my Spirits. He's stolen something that could destroy the balance of good and evil, and I have to get it back."

"The balance of... YOU'RE THE WARRIOR?!"

"Ummm... Yeah..." CV shrugged.

"And you don't have the Scepter?! ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!"

CV felt what ego he had left rapidly deflating. "You don't have to sugarcoat it..." He paused. "Wait, how'd you know about the Warrior and the Scepter?!"

"The Warrior's arrival was foretold, ages ago. I would know. My human incarnation lived in the same era."

"You were human once?"

"Yes, but that time is long past. And such matters are irrelevant to what is happening now."

"I... see..." CV looked around. The city he was in was beautiful, the air clean and pristine, he could see for miles without even trying. "This is all... just amazing."

He saw storm clouds gathering in the distance. "Bad weather?"

"Dark tidings," said DMG, gravely. "I believe that if we follow those clouds, we will find your spirits and this enemy you seek."

"So how do we get there?"

"You have a deck?"

"One... The others vanished into the portal with my spirits." CV pulled it out, belatedly remembering the smaller holder containing the cards Ishizu had given him.

"The monsters you summon here will be as physically real as you or I. Perhaps one can be used as transportation."

"Maybe..." said CV, as he looked at his deck thoughtfully.

* * *

"WAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!" As V-Tiger Jet soared through the skies, CV sat at the controls having the time of his life. Strapped into the copilot's seat, DMG looked desperately like she wanted to be anywhere else, holding her seat with a white knuckle grip and her eyes wide enough to fall out of her head. "This is the ONLY way to fly!"

"YOU NEED FLYING LESSONS!!!!!!" DMG screamed as CV did a barrel roll.

* * *

"And then they all vanished, just like that!" said Ashes as she finished relating the story to the others.

"This is as bad as it gets," said Hikari. "Dad told me about the monster world. Every monster ever lives there... The damage Ramesus could do..."

"We can't let our resident goofball do this alone," said Nat.

"What choice do we have?" asked Jay. "It's not like we can just snap our fingers and make a portal."

"I can do it," said the Creator as he appeared.

Ashes, Sprite, and Jay stared at him. Hikari and Nat, unable to see or hear him, were confused.

"Did you just say..." started Ashes.

"I didn't say anything," said Nat.

"Not you. The Creator."

"Oh, of course..." Aside, Nat added to Hikari, "They've both completely lost it."

"Yes, I can do it," said the Creator, "But it will not be easy. Ramesus' power dwarfs my own, but perhaps with help from you, dear lady," he said, directed at the Sprite, "we might just be able to pull it off."

"Well, let's do it," said Jay.

"Do what?" asked Hikari.

"I will require a small amount of time to gather my energies," said the Creator. He began to glow. "I would also suggest praying."

* * *

"HURK!"

CV stood with his arms crossed, doing his best to give DMG privacy as she blew chunks behind a bush. "I'll get better..."

"On the way back... WE WALK!" She came out from behind the bushes, obviously annoyed. She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards the darkness.

"Aw man..." They walked together the rest of the way. "I didn't even get to try out Y-Dragon Head..." Before he could continue, they both spotted something ominous.

Before them laid a massive dome, sparking with energy but completely transparent.

"It's definitely new," said DMG.

"I see you've finally made it," said Ramesus as he came into view from behind the dome's wall.

"RAMESUS!" CV glared at the leader of the Evil Duelists. "What have you done now?!"

"Oh, nothing much. I just thought you'd enjoy a little performance." He snapped his fingers and what appeared was an unlikely tableau. Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior were facing each other like enemies about to duel. Rings of darkness surrounded each of them.

"GUYS!"

Rocket Warrior looked up. "WHAT KEPT YOU?! This guy's crazy! He wants us to destroy each other in a duel!"

CV sweatdropped. "...I don't think that's possible. Red-Eyes can't even talk."

Ramesus turned to look at the mighty dragon. "...Ah, yes, I knew I was forgetting something." He reached into a deck holder on his belt and pulled out a card CV had never seen before. "Here is someone to give voice to your dragon. Behold... THE PALADIN OF BLACK DRAGON!" Lightning flashed, and when the smoke cleared, an armored knight astride a miniature version of Red-Eyes was hovering right in front of the mighty monster itself.

"And now for the final touch." Ramesus snapped again, and duel disks appeared on the wrists of Rocket Warrior and Paladin. In each disk was one of CV's missing decks.

"NOT COOL!" said Rocket Warrior.

"Mighty Dragon," said the Paladin, turning to bow at Red-Eyes, "allow me to serve as your voice and hands for these grim proceedings. I promise to battle with honor and integrity." Red-Eyes growled.

"And what makes you think we'll duel?" demanded Rocket Warrior.

"You have no choice. Those rings of darkness around the both of you will gradually shrink. When they touch you, they will annihilate you utterly. The only way to survive is for one to annihilate the other."

"...Okay, that's a good opening reason..."

"Well, now that the preamble is concluded..." said Ramesus as Ryu Kokki joined him.

"Let this shadow game begin..." Ryu Kokki laughed darkly.

Rocket Warrior: 4000

Red-Eyes: 4000

"And if I must, I shall begin these proceedings," said the Paladin as it drew six cards. Rocket Warrior drew five.

"There has to be a way out of here," muttered Rocket Warrior.

"Oh, there isn't, I assure you," said Ramesus.

"Very well then, villain. I shall use the spell card Polymerization!" Polymerization appeared. "And I will use it to combine the Summoned Skull and a Red-Eyes Black Dragon to summon..." The two monsters appeared and swirled together as a much more impressive monster landed on the field, roaring. "Black Skull Dragon!"

Black Skull Dragon: 3200/2500

"Woah, a heavy hitter right off the bat?! Not good..." Rocket Warrior drew. "Fine, I'll place one card facedown, and also play Wave Motion Cannon!" A facedown appeared, and so did a massive blaster. "For each of my standby phases, this thing gains 1000 attack points. When I remove it from the field, you'll take a LOT of damage to your life points."

"Rocket Warrior! Red-Eyes! STOP!" CV yelled at them through the outer perimeter of the force dome. "Don't do this!"

"We'll figure something out... I hope..." muttered Rocket Warrior. "But for now, I'll buy us some time by summoning the spell card Scapegoat!" Four goat tokens appeared. "That should slow things down a bit."

"Not enough," said DMG. "I fear your friends are in grave peril."

"Then it's time I got serious." CV extended his duel disk to play mode. "IT'S DUELIN' TIME!"

DMG blinked as CV spread the five V-Z vehicles onto his monster zones.

"COMBAT VEHICLES... MOBILIZE!" Lightning flashed and the ground began to shake as, one by one, the five mighty machines appeared, racing towards the dome. "ALL OUT ATTACK! V! W! X! Y! Z! DESTROY THE DOME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

V-Tiger Jet blasted past the dome, raking it with energy claws, even as W-Wing Catapult launched boulders at it. The dome deflected the bounders with ease, and the claws didn't even scratch it.

"Try again!" X-Head Cannon let loose with a twin barrage, while Y-Dragon Head released fireballs. Z-Metal Tank rammed it head on, only to be repelled, even as the dome completely absorbed the attacks of the other machines.

"It's not working!" exclaimed Dark Magician Girl. "There's just not enough power!"

"Maybe not individually," said CV. "COMBAT VEHICLES... COMBINE!"

Ramesus, perversely, yawned.

V-Tiger Jet folded it's wings as it attacked to W-Wing Catapult, while the remaining three quickly fused together, forming the VW-Tiger Catapult and the XYZ Dragon Cannon.

"Is that all you've got?" asked Ramesus.

"FIRE!" The two massive monster released twin beams of pure energy into the dome, which again ignored the attacks.

"No way..." CV couldn't believe it. 'How strong IS this thing?'

"Well, if you're done being a poor sport, I suggest we return to the duel," said Ramesus.

"My turn," said the Paladin as he drew. "I summon Luster Dragon in attack mode." A shining dragon appeared.

Luster Dragon: 1900/1600

"Now destroy two scapegoats!" Black Skull Dragon and Luster Dragon did as they were instructed, releasing two fireballs that shattered two scapegoats. "And that shall do for now."

As the Paladin ended his turn, Rocket Warrior scowled. "You sure don't seem to be fighting against this much, pal..."

Red-Eyes growled mournfully.

"Sorry... I know you don't have a choice. Just like I don't!" Rocket Warrior drew. The Wave Motion Cannon powered up to 1000. "Okay, reveal trap card!" The facedown rose up. "Bad Reaction to Simochi. Now any effect that would raise your life points deducts them instead. Cards like Upstart Goblin!" Rocket Warrior held the card up. "Normally, when this is played, I draw one card, and you'd gain a thousand life points. But with Bad Reaction on the field, you lose them instead!"

Rocket Warrior: 4000

Red-Eyes: 3000

Before RW's shocked eyes, the dark rings around Red-Eyes shrunk by a fourth.

"The rings are a nice touch, don't you think?" asked Ramesus. "Red-Eyes is already a quarter of the way into the grave."

"NO! I didn't mean to... YOU CREEP!" Rocket Warrior yelled at Ramesus. "THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH!"

"Not nearly far enough," said Ryu Kokki. "You're both still ALIVE."

"And they still will be when this is all over," said CV. "Time to go full on! Form V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon!" VW separated as W split in half to form legs. XYZ rose up as it's treads transformed into arms, and the rest landed atop the newly formed legs. V-Tiger Jet attacked to the back as it's front came down, forming the head of the massive mecha.

"Let's try a physical attack," said CV. "V-Z Power Punch!" The robot swung it's fist, striking the dome with enough force to shatter a building. It trembled for an instant, but that was all.

"It's no good, man," said Rocket Warrior. "But thanks for trying. Now I'll place one monster facedown and end my turn." A monster card appeared.

"That's right," said Ramesus. "NOTHING can save them now. They'll duel to the death, and all because that is my merest whim."

* * *

"Join hands," instructed the Creator as he and the Sprite began to focus. Jay and Ashes were forced to take the lead, grabbing the hands of Nat and Hikari.

"Okay, what now?" asked Hikari. "Sing campfire songs?"

The spirits didn't respond to that, choosing instead to draw energy from the four duelists. Slowly, they, and the room itself began to glow, brighter and brighter... Until it was blinding.

When it faded, they heard birds chirping and "thooms" in the distance. They looked around, and saw that they were in a grassy plain.

"This... This isn't a hologram, is it?" asked Jay.

"No," said the Sprite, as Hikari and Nat turned, surprised to see her and the Creator.

"I hadda ask..." muttered Hikari.

"Wow..." Despite herself, Nat was impressed.

"So, how do we find CV?" asked Jay.

The Sprite pointed northeast, where, in the distance, they could see a massive robot punching at something.

"Never mind..."

* * *

Ryu Kokki's eyes widened. "There are intruders in this realm."

Ramesus raised an eyebrow. "Really now? It seems our honored guest's friends found a way to join us. How delicious. Now I can get rid of them as well. See to it, won't you?"

"With pleasure," said Ryu Kokki before fading away.

'Where's Ryu Kokki going?' wondered CV as V-Z punched the dome again.

"The turn is one more ours," said the Paladin. "To begin with, I shall place one card facedown." A facedown appeared in the spell zone. "And now, Black Skull Dragon will destroy your facedown monster! Molten Fireball!" Black Skull Dragon let loose a fiery barrage, which almost immediately turned into a very bad idea. The attacked card materialized as a Cyber Jar.

"Whoopsie!" Rocket Warrior sighed. "You just activated the special ability of Cyber Jar. Now all monsters on the field get destroyed..." Black Skull, Luster, and the scapegoats shattered. "We each draw five cards..." They did so. "And we each summon to the field all the 4 star or lower monsters.

As they did this, on Rocket Warrior's side, Kaiser Sea Horse, Rocket Warrior, and a facedown monster appeared.

Kaiser Sea Horse: 1700/1650

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

On Red-Eyes' side, Lord of Dragons and Red-Eyes Black Chick materialized.

Lord of Dragons: 1200

Red-Eyes Black Chick: 800/500

"And now I shall activate the Chick's ability," said the Paladin, and sacrifice it for my patron, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The Chick burst from it's shell, growing up to the massive dragon, before changing again. "But my patron has another level of power that you shall now meet... THE ALL POWERFUL RED-EYES DARKNESS DRAGON!"

Roaring, the massive Dragon stepped forward.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 2400/2000

"And he gains an additional 300 attack points for every dragon in the graveyard!"

"And there's quite a few," noted Dark Magician Girl. "Five, by my count."

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 2400/2000 + 1500/0 3900/2000

"Now destroy the facedown monster!" The Darkness Dragon let loose a volley of flames, and the facedown revealed itself to be the Giant Rat before it shattered.

"I was hoping you'd do that," said Rocket Warrior. "Now I can summon an earth monster with 1500 or fewer attack points from my deck. So come on out Enraged Muka Muka!" A massive creature appeared.

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600

"And he gets a powerup for every card in my hand. 400 points each, and I've got plenty." Rocket Warrior held up a full hand.

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600 + 2400/2400 3600/3000

"I'd say that NOW, we've got a game going," said Rocket Warrior.

"So it would seem..." agreed the Paladin.

The Enraged Muka Muka and the Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon stared each other down. This was going to be ugly.

"There's nothing we can do..." said Dark Magician Girl. "Your friends will destroy one another, and all we can do is watch."

"You're wrong," said CV. "There HAS to be a way. There HAS to!"

Ramesus respectfully disagreed...

* * *

Riding in the Creator's throne, the rest of the gang raced towards V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon, not wasting time to sightsee, although Ashes was CERTAIN she saw Scapegoats and Stray Lambs grazing along the way.

"It shant be far," said the Creator as he increased their speed.

"AND THAT'S FAR ENOUGH!" roared a voice straight from the grave as the ground erupted before them, dethroning the entire group and knocking them to the ground. As they pulled themselves up, they could see Ryu Kokki rising from the ground, grinning evilly.

"That's it! That's the monster that was with Ramesus!" Ashes scowled. The thing didn't look any better in natural light.

"Man, that sucker's ugly..." Hikari got her disk ready. "We'd better take this guy down fast!" She whipped out two cards that merged into one. "CYCROID! SKATEROID! COMBINE TO FORM TRAINING CYCROID!" A training-wheeled bicycle monster appeared and charged Ryu Kokki. "ATTACK WITH FOUR-WHEEL PETAL POUNDING!"

The bike launched into the air and fired all four tires, which Ryu Kokki knocked away with ease.

"...Okay, new plan... THOUSAND DRAGON!" Two more cards, and a powerful dragon roared before staring down Ryu Kokki.

"Hikari, maybe that's not such a good idea..." said Jay, but it was too late.

"THOUSAND FLAMES!" The dragon released flames from it's nose, but Ryu Kokki enveloped himself in darkness which absorbed the attack.

"I am a duel spirit, you simpering cow. You cannot defeat me with these pitiful halflings! BEGONE! DEVOURING DARKNESS!" Ryu Kokki slammed his fist into the ground, and geysers of shadow burst from the ground, shattering Training Cycroid and Thousand Dragon easily.

"He's right," said the Flame Sprite as she and the Creator got between Ryu Kokki and the duelists.

"Stay behind us! We shall dispatch this demon!"

"Oh, you think so? DEVOURING DARKNESS!" He slammed his fist into the ground again, and a geyser of shadow enveloped the Flame Sprite.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" The Sprite screamed and collapsed to the ground, barely conscious and in sheer agony.

"FLAME SPRITE!" Ashes ran to her Spirit and picked the monster up. "It'll be okay. I'll protect you."

"VILLAIN! You'll not live to regret that cowardly move!" The Creator charged Ryu Kokki, who faded into the shadows of his own making before the Creator could land a blow.

"Nice try..." He said as he emerged from the shadows behind the Creator, before striking down the duel spirit with a vicious swipe of his hand. "You may be powerful, but you are also freshly emerged, whereas I am more experienced, and possess a partner who has TRUE power. Together, we are more than you could ever DREAM of defeating. You are naught but ANTS to one such as I. Surrender and DIE, allies of the Warrior. Thy day has come."

"CREATOR! Don't give up!"

"I would never do that," said the valiant spirit as he got to his feet.

"Ryu Kokki's way too powerful," said Nat. "He needs help. Hikari, you with me?"

"You have to ask?" Both girls raised up cards.

"CYBER END DRAGON!"

"JINZO!"

"ATTACK!" Both girls gave the order at once, and together, the two monsters appeared and let loose with a cyber shock and tri-cyber flames, distracting Ryu Kokki.

"How cute. The little girls want to play with me. Too bad I play rough!"

"NO!" The Creator moved to stop Ryu Kokki, but he was an instant too slow. Ryu Kokki slammed his fists onto the ground, and the entire area began to quake, before cracking apart like brittle glass. The rupture widened quickly, barely allowing Jay and Ashes to get out of it's path in time. Focused on attacking, however, Hikari and Nat weren't so lucky.

"Those who oppose me find themselves staring into the abyss," he laughed. "AND THE ABYSS GETS HUNGRY FOR HUMAN FLESH!" The ground opened wide, and Nat and Hikari fell into the fissure, barely grabbing onto the edge of the quickly widening cliff.

"NAT! HIKARI!" Jay could only watch in horror as their handholds began to crumble.

"Pull yourself up!" yelled Nat as she tried to do the same. "Hurry before the ground-"

Their handholds crumbled to dust.

"-GIVES WAY!!!!!" Like a scene from a movie, the girls began to fall into the bottomless pit, the light of day growing fainter by the second.

And there was nothing anyone could do to save them...

* * *

In another realm, the young man watch all these events unfolding simultaneously, and he clenched his fists in anger. All those years of fighting against the darkness, and the darkness not only remained, but was once more growing out of control.

He would have to take a hand once more if innocent blood was to be spared.

"The time has come," said Pharaoh Atem, the former spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. His spectral copy of the Puzzle began to glow with golden light. "TO ACT!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: The Unity of Friendship! Yin-Yang Fusion Revealed!


	17. Yin Yang Fusion Revealed!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ishizu gave CyberV two powerful but as of yet unrevealed cards to use when the time was right. CV's shadow power flareups brought with them new duel spirits, including the deadly Ryu Kokki, which attached to Ramesus. Ramesus used his newly enhanced powers to kidnap Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes, forcing them into a duel in the monster world while CV and the Dark Magician Girl watched helplessly. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang arrived in the strange realm, only to be  
attacked by Ryu Kokki. During the battle, Nat and Hikari were knocked into a bottomless abyss. Watching it all, Pharaoh Atem, the former spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, decided it was time for him to take a hand in the proceedings...

* * *

Red-Eyes: 3000  
Rocket Warrior: 4000

"Your creatures are impressive," noted the Paladin of Black Dragon, the proxy duelist for Red-Eyes, who could not talk, and thus could not duel.

Enraged Muka Muka: 3600/3000  
Kaiser Sea Horse (def): 1700/1650  
Rocket Warrior (def): 1500/1300

"Your's aren't half bad either," said Rocket Warrior.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 3900/2000  
Lord of D. (def): 1200/1100

The two stared each other down, trying to find a way to end the duel without it destroying the loser. The situation wasn't good. Each was holding back as much as possible, but both Duel Spirits were surrounded by rings of shadow magic that constricted whenever one of them lost life points. They could only stall for so long. Not only that, but Rocket Warrior had the Wave-Motion Cannon on the field, a ticking time bomb that could go off at any time.

Wave Motion Cannon: 1000

"I'll end my turn," said the Paladin, unable to attack the other monsters since his remaining monster was both in defense mode and too weak to do any damage.

"And that brings us one turn closer to the destruction of one of your spirits," said Ramesus, enjoying the display. CyberV wasn't enjoying it quite so much.

CV almost ignored the V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon as it continued to try and smash through the force done separating Dark Magician Girl and himself from the battle. So far, the dome was holding.

"Okay then," said Rocket Warrior. "Let's see if we can't stretch this out a while longer." He looked at the card he drew at the start of his turn. 'Perfect. If I know the Red-Eyes deck like I think I do, he can get a heavy hitter onto the field really easily. But my Enraged Muka Muka will be too powerful if I have seven cards in my hand... He'd lose too many life points for comfort. But maybe I can mediate the damage a little by playing them out of the best possible order...'

"Okay, first off, Wave-Motion Cannon gains another thousand points!"

Wave-Motion Cannon: 2000

The cannon charged up, even though Rocket Warrior figured that it wouldn't last the turn. Just the way he wanted it.

"All right, now I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared on the field.

"And that means that I shall activate my facedown," said the Paladin. "The trap card Dust Tornado, which can destroy one spell or trap on the field!" High winds moved towards the Wave Motion Cannon, which lifted into the air and shattered.

"Oh, what a pity," said Rocket Warrior, mock pouting. "Nice work! We'll beat this shadow game yet!"

"Aye, we shall try," said the Paladin as Red-Eyes nodded.

"Oh, how sweet. They're trying to save each other. I think I may vomit." Ramesus knew better. Try as they might, eventually, only one could win. He knew these decks very well, thanks to his own hand in one, and Poison's deviousness. There was no possible way for there to be a tie.

"We're still not making any progress," said the Dark Magician Girl.

"I know," said CV. "And time's running out!"

"And I hate to do this, buddy," said Rocket Warrior, "But your bigger, nastier self has GOT to go. I'll switch my self image to attack mode." The Rocket Warrior on the field stood up and transformed into a rocket. "And enter invincible mode. Now go and attack the Darkness Dragon!"

The monster rocketed through the dragon's wing, damaging it.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 3900-5003400

"You see, my special ability lets me be indestructible in battle on my own turn. I take no damage from hitting a stronger enemy, but at the same time, the attacked monster loses 500 attack points for the rest of the turn."

The Darkness Dragon, although wounded, growled.

"Bad attitude, scaly. MUKA MUKA, NAIL IT!"

Enraged Muka Muka's eyes glowed as they released red energy blasts which struck and shattered the Darkness Dragon.

Red-Eyes: 2800  
Rocket Warrior: 4000

"Okay, and now I'll play the spell Rain of Mercy!" The spell rose up on the field. "This card would grant us both 1000 life points, but because of Bad Reaction to Simochi, for you, the rain's acidic!" Rain fell, and while it refreshed Rocket Warrior, it caused pain to Red-Eyes, whose shadow bands shrunk some more. RW's, however, expanded.

Red-Eyes: 1800  
Rocket Warrior: 5000

"That ends my turn."

"There's nothing we can do..." realized CV. "They'll just keep going until one's destroyed, no matter how hard they try to prolong things."

'And given how many life point manipulation cards I have in my Rocket Warrior deck, things aren't looking good for Red-Eyes. The Red-Eyes deck has the strength, but the other one has the cunning!' CV scowled.

DMG felt something, a prickling on the edge of her consciousness. A familiar feeling, rising up within her.

"Something... Something's happening..." She dropped to her knees.

"What the?!" CV turned to help her, but as he got close, her staff began to glow, and before he could make another move, a brilliant golden light enveloped them both...

CV opened his eyes, but he was no longer in a grassy field. There was no duel, and they weren't even outside. Instead, both he and the Dark Magician Girl were somewhere else completely.

It looked like the inside of an Egyptian temple, the throne room of a great Pharaoh. CV slowly realized that he had been in this place before. He looked up towards the throne, and recognized the man sitting upon it.

"Welcome to my home, Warrior," said Pharaoh Atem. His Millennium Puzzle glowed brilliant with the same golden light as the Dark Magician Girl's staff. "I fear that time is short, and we have much to discuss..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger  
Episode 17: The Unity of Friendship! Yin-Yang Fusion Revealed!  
Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"I know you," said CV. "I've been here before... Back when I first touched the Scepter of the Balance."

"That was not me, so much as a... spiritual recording, you might say," said Atem as he stood and walked down the steps to the ground. "And technically, you are not truly here. This has all been recreated within your mind and my memories. You are still standing before a terrible shadow game, and as I have said, time is short."

"I have to stop it."

"I fear that there are more immediate concerns." Atem motioned, and the far wall shimmered and changed, entirely as if by magic... Which, he supposed, it was. It showed the Scepter now.

"I am aware of your trials thus far. The separation of yourself from the Scepter has caused an imbalance within your shadow powers, causing them to ebb and flow, depending on your emotional state." The image on the wall shifted to display a representation of this.

"It's stronger when I'm angry or frightened," said CV. "And the Duel Spirits?"

"By-products, nature's way of mediating the effect of the shadow energies upon your body and soul. Once you have recovered the Scepter, their production should cease."

"But... I thought that my Spirits were the source of my powers."

"No, they are creations of the power, not the source."

"So I won't lose power if I lose them."

"Correct, although certainly you must try to save them."

"Then... Where is this power coming from?"

Atem smiled. "All answers in their own time, and today is not the day for that one. You are still learning to harness the power, and until you are better prepared, it is best that the secret remain just that."

Dark Magician Girl, recovering, stood up shakily. "This day has REALLY sucked..."

"And what about Ramesus? Why is it he can use the Scepter like that?"

"The only thing I can figure out is that Ramesus has always possessed latent shadow abilities. He draws the power of the Scepter like a magnet. However, to do so, he pays a terrible price. The more power he uses, the darker his soul becomes."

"I've noticed," said CV. "He's gone from vague threat to super villain."

"And he will only grow stronger. You must find a way to defeat him before he gains full control of the Scepter. If that occurs, all will be lost."

"I've heard the horror stories," said CV. "Nature will go out of control and destroy humanity." The image on the wall shifted again, showing horrific disasters.

"Not just that, but he will not stop his mad quest for power until every innocent soul lives in eternal torment inside the Shadow Realm. He cannot help himself, as the light within him is dwindling by the day."

"My god..." The implications were staggering. Every person on Earth, condemned to an eternity worst than death.

"Is that even possible?" asked the Dark Magician Girl.

"More than possible. It's the only thing that can happen as one without spiritual balance possesses this deadly Item. That is why I so long ago banished it from history and my kingdom. I knew that in virtually anyone's hands, it would be the end of the world."

"And I had to blow it..." realized CV.

"Not yet, you haven't. If you can defeat this shadow game, you can force his plans back, buy more time to find the Scepter, and save the world." Atem said it with confidence, the same confidence that had made him and Yugi Mutou the King of Games. "But why was I the one chosen to do this?"

"You mean, why did destiny choose an untrained and untested duelist to be the bearer of destiny's torch? There could be a thousand reasons, but I believe that it is your fighting spirit that drew destiny to you." The image changed to show CV the day he'd met Joey Wheeler. "Joey saw something in you, something he recognized within himself... A drive to keep trying, even when  
there seemed no hope. I see it too."

"So I keep fighting."

"Yes, and eventually, you will find a way to win."

"That still doesn't help me break through that dome."

"I'm afraid the dome is the least of your problems. Observe." The image changed again, and in it, CV could only watch, stunned, as the battle between his friends and Ryu Kokki played out.

"Flame Sprite's down, and Creator's not doing well at all." Dark Magician Girl clenched her fists.

"That isn't why I summoned you here. THIS is." CV watched as Ryu Kokki opened the fissure in the ground, sending Nat and Hikari to their doom.

"NO! NAT! HIKARI!" He didn't know how his friends had gotten to the Monster Realm, but he now knew they were in deadly danger.

"The fissure Ryu Kokki has opened is a portal to the Shadow Realm. If they continue to fall, they will eventually go completely insane."

"But what can I do?"

"You must tap into your powers! It is the only thing that can save your friends from the Realm and Ryu Kokki."

CV looked away, frustrated. "But I've never called for the power consciously before. It just... comes..."

"You will learn to summon it at will with practice and time, but I fear you have neither luxury at this moment."

"But it's always come when there's danger... The Warehouse... The duel with Hikari... The Mall..."

"And in each case, it was slow in building." Atem knew this feeling well. There had been times Yugi's anxiety had to build before releasing him from the Puzzle. "But again, we have no time for that. No, I summoned you here to give you a helping hand."

Atem held his hand out. Slowly, CV grasped it.

"This will only work once, Warrior. Remember all I have told you, and have courage. Do not lose faith, and nothing can stop you."

His Puzzle began to glow.

CV began to feel strange... Stronger...

"And when you return, please, tell Yugi that while we may no longer have our connection, we will never be truly apart."

The glow got stronger.

"Prepare yourself!"

The Millennium Puzzle flashed.

"YUGIOHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

CV felt the power surge forth as the golden light filled the room. As it faded, he and Dark Magician Girl found themselves back in the field. However, it wasn't the same goofy CyberV that had left it. This one was focused, determined, and angry. He radiated power that the female mage could actually see. The Wdjat glowed upon his head.

"RAMESUS! This Shadow Game's only just begun! You haven't won yet, and you never will!"

Somehow, she believed him.

* * *

Ryu Kokki swatted the Creator away once more and laughed at the Sprite's pitiful attempt to get up to help.

"You can't defeat me, Spirits. Surrender yourselves into the service of my master, and perhaps you will survive to serve the future ruler of the world."

"Never!" Both Jay and the Creator spoke as one.

"Got... to help..." Sprite got to her feet, but was still unsteady.

"Be careful," begged Ashes. "We've already... We've already lost too much."

"And soon, you will lose your SOULS," said Ryu Kokki... Right before a golden streak of light blazed past him and into the fissure. "WHAT?! NO! IT CAN'T BE!"

'What WAS that?' wondered Jay. 'Whatever it was, it just scared our playmate something fierce. Maybe we still have a chance after all!'

* * *

Nat knew only darkness and a haunting laugh she didn't want to think about. She looked to her right and saw Hikari, falling alongside her, chilled to the bone, holding herself in a useless attempt to keep out the psychic effect of the Shadow Realm.

"Hang on... We'll get out of this... Somehow..." Nat looked around, but couldn't tell one direction from another, much less up or down, if such things even still existed.

"So... cold... My dad... He told me about this place... He fought his way out back in Battle City... Nat... I don't know.. if I'm strong enough to do it."

"You're strong," said Nat. "Just focus on holding yourself together, and we'll be okay."

"You're scared." It wasn't a question. After a moment, Nat nodded.

"Yes."

"You never show... much emotion."

"I'm not supposed to."

"You should. Makes you... human."

"I've... never been very good at that," admitted Nat. "I was always taught that showing emotions meant showing your weaknesses."

"No," said Hikari. "NOT showing them... Shows your fear."

Despite the situation, Nat smiled at that remark. But something caught her eye, and she put her game face back on.

"We've got company."

"One of the others?" Hikari looked to see a pinprick of golden light in the distance, and growing fast.

"I don't think so," said Nat as it came into view, astonishing both girls.

No, it wasn't one of the others, thankfully. Instead, it was the powerful form of the Flame Swordsman, astride a Cyber Dragon, racing towards them from the depths of the shadows.

"HOLD ON!" called out the Swordsman as he reached out. The Cyber Dragon flew between the girls, and the Flame Swordsman grabbed both duelists by their wrists as it passed by. With a casual showing of strength, the duel monster pulled them both up onto Cyber Dragon's back.

"You're... my spirit..." said Hikari with realization.

"I am," said Flame Swordsman. "And I fear our task is not yet done."

"Well then," said Nat as she petted Cyber Dragon, "What are we waiting for?!"

Cyber Dragon reversed course, heading back the way it came, increasing with speed every second, until it burst through the mouth of the fissure and rose above the battle.

"MUCH better!" exclaimed Hikari, no longer chilled.

"HIKARI! NAT!" Ashes was elated to see them alive and well.

"YES!" Jay pumped his fist into the air. "But... But how?"

Immediately, Ashes knew. "CV... Thank you."

Cyber Dragon lowered down so Flame Swordsman, Hikari, and Nat could get off. Flame Swordsman unsheathed his blade and glared at Ryu Kokki.

"Villain, you dare to attack the innocent?! You shall pay for this affront with your life!"

"Oh please, you are newly formed, and no match for me," said Ryu Kokki. You will fall like the rest."

'He's right,' realized Jay. 'The Creator, Cyber Dragon, and Flame Swordsman are newly formed, and Ryu's been around a while. Sprite's older, but nowhere near Ryu's weight class. And even if she was, he can just hide in the shadows and...'

"THAT'S IT!" Jay grinned. "SPRITE! SWORDSMAN! DRAGON! ATTACK THE SHADOWS!"

"What?" Flame Swordsman was confused. Cyber Dragon was as well. But Sprite got it.

"FOLLOW MY LEAD, SPIRITS!" she said as her kettle appeared. "SPARK SPELL!" Small flames came out of the kettle, and danced around Ryu Kokki.

"Pathetic!"

"FLAME SLASH!" Flame Swordsman released a torrent of flames with a swipe of his sword, even as Cyber Dragon unleashed it's Cyber Fire maneuver. In response, Ryu Kokki launched into the air, avoiding the flames.

"Is that all you've got?"

"SPARK SPELL!" The Sprite attacked again, surrounding the airborne Ryu Kokki with flames.

"NOW, CREATOR! HIT HIM HARD!" Jay pointed towards the villain, channeling his anger into his Spirit.

"Of course!" The Creator glowed with power. "HAND OF GOD!" He threw a punch, and a spectral version flew towards Ryu Kokki, growing in size until it was the rough equivalent of a house.

"I'll just avoid it," warned Ryu Kokki... before coming to the slow realization of just what the plan was. He looked at the sparks all around him, destroying the shadows with their light. He had no way out. "NO! NO!"

"Oh yes," said Jay as the massive fist struck Ryu Kokki head on, knocking him half a mile before the villain crashed to the ground in a massive crater.

"Just beautiful," said Hikari.

"Done deal," said Nat.

"I can't believe that worked..." said Ashes.

Lying in the crater, smouldering and obviously hurt, Ryu Kokki slowly pulled himself up. He glared at the four Duelists and their spirits. "This battle isn't over. All you have done is pave the way for your eternal torment!" Having the final word, the evil spirit faded into the shadows.

"Yeesh, what a grouch..." Jay shrugged. He turned to look at the continuing efforts of the V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon to break something in the distance. "We'd better get a move on."

* * *

The change in CV's demeanor was punctuated by yet another massive blow to the dome by his massive mecha. But now, the dome visibly shook, much to Ramesus' astonishment.

"An... admittedly impressive show of force," said Ramesus. "But far from enough."

"We'll see," said CV cryptically.

Inside the dome, the duel continued.

"It is now our turn," said the Paladin of Black Dragon as he drew a card. "And I shall begin with Monster Reborn, to revive the Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon." Monster Reborn shone in the monster's hand and vanished, and the massive dragon reappeared.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 3900/2000

"I shall next play the spell Graceful Charity." The spell appeared and glowed. "Now I can draw three new cards, as long as I discard two from my hand." He did so, staring at Rocket Warrior. "And for the record, one of the discarded cards is the Red-Eyes Black Chick, which means the Darkness Dragon gains another 300 attack points."

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 4200/2000

"I shall now also play a third spell, Soul Exchange." The card appeared, and Lord of Dragons began to fade away, as did Rocket Warrior's self-effigy. "This card allows me to tribute one of your monsters, along with one of my own, to summon a monster of tremendous power... And I choose my master's OWN effigy, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

The Red-Eyes roared as it appeared on the field.

"Oh, this can't be good," muttered Rocket Warrior.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: 2400/2000

"And now, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, destroy his Enraged Muka Muka!" The massive dragon roared and spat white hot flames, melting the insectoid monster completely.

Red-Eyes: 1800  
Rocket Warrior: 4000

The rings around Rocket Warrior constricted back to their original size.

"And now, I shall play a spell to do maximum damage to you, in order to bring our mutual life points back to similar stature!" A fourth spell appeared. "INFERNO FIRE BLAST! Now Red-Eyes Black Dragon can attack you directly for this turn."

Red-Eyes Black Dragon growled as it spat a fireball directly at Rocket Warrior, who took it head on and dropped to his knees, in obvious pain. The rings shrank again, by more than half.

Red-Eyes: 1800  
Rocket Warrior: 1600

Red-Eyes watched this, mournfully. It didn't want this. Neither of them did. But until a way out was discovered, they had no choice.

"That ends my turn," said the Paladin.

"Then..." said Rocket Warrior as he stood up. "It's time for me to have a go at it." He drew, and immediately held up the card. "I play Dark Hole!" A vortex appeared over the field, and all the monsters began to rise up into it. "This clears the field of all monsters. A clean slate for a whole new game." Both dragons and the Kaiser Sea Horse vanished into the darkness.

"The duel's almost over," said CV. "Got to do something..." He glanced at his deck. "It's time for some more firepower!" He drew four monsters and placed them onto his duel disk. "FIEND MEGACYBER! BAZOO THE SOUL EATER! ELEMENTAL HERO BLADEDGE! INJECTION FAIRY LILY!" One by one, the monsters appeared, ready to do battle.

"I'll help too," said Dark Magician Girl.

"AND SO WILL WE!" yelled a familiar voice.

CV turned to see the rest of the gang coming up fast. He could see Flame Swordsman, Nat, and Hikari astride a Cyber Dragon, and Ashes and Jay riding on the Creator's throne. The Flame Sprite, flying ahead of them, landed next to the Dark Magician Girl.

"Just in time," said CV. "What kept you?" He smirked, letting them know full well that he knew.

"Let's just say we met Ramesus' better half," said Ashes.

"LOOK!" exclaimed the Sprite. "Something's happening!"

"And now I'll summon another one of myself," said Rocket Warrior as a copy appeared. "Because you can never have too much of a good thing!"

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"Now attack directly! ROCKET SLASH!" The Rocket Warrior blasted forward, slashing the Paladin. The rings around Red-Eyes constricted to almost nothing.

Red-Eyes: 300  
Rocket Warrior: 1600

"Make your move."

"Very well," said the Paladin. "I shall play the spell Heavy Storm to eliminate your spells and traps." All of Rocket Warrior's spells  
shattered. "And I shall now place down one of my own." A card appeared. "And now I shall play Snatch Steal!" The card appeared. "This allows me to control your Rocket Warrior, but gives you 1000 life points during your standby phase." The Rocket Warrior just summoned vanished, reappearing on Red-Eyes' side. "NOW ATTACK YOUR DOUBLE!"

Again, the Rocket Warrior attacked, striking the true one dead on.

Red-Eyes: 300  
Rocket Warrior: 100

Rocket Warrior's ring shrunk quite a bit.

"Maybe if we all hit it at once," said CV, "we can break through."

"Right," said Jay.

"We're with you," agreed Nat.

"So let's stop talking and do it!" snapped Hikari. "UFOROID FIGHTER! JINZO! THOUSAND DRAGON! STEAM GYROID!" The monsters appeared next to Flame Swordsman.

"Right behind you," said Nat. "CYBER TWIN DRAGON! CYBER END DRAGON! CYBER BARRIER DRAGON! CYBER LASER DRAGON!" A horde of dragons appeared next to Cyber Dragon.

"Guess it's my turn," said Ashes. "BURNING BEAST! FIRE PRINCESS! MAGMAR THE MIGHTY! WINGED FIREBALL!" Flame monsters burst into existence, taking up formation around the Flame Sprite.

"And definitely not least..." muttered Jay. "SOLAR FLARE DRAGON! SACRED PHOENIX OF NEPYTHIS! ULTIMATE BASEBALL KID! MUSICIAN!" Again, four monsters appeared, this time around The Creator.

"...The Musician?" asked CV.

"Like you can talk, Mr. Lily."

"My best cards are on the other side of the dome, OKAY?!"

"FOCUS!" yelled Dark Magician Girl.

"She's right," said CV, the Wdjat glowing brightly. "ALL OUT ATTACK!"

26 monsters heeded the call, and as they attacked, the various forces merged into a single omnipotent blast, which struck the dome head-on.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Ramesus as the dome began to crack and crumble. "NO! THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH!"

The energy blast shattered the dome completely, missing Ramesus by inches. The summoned monsters faded, leaving only the four spirits, as everyone ran towards the duel. Ryu Kokki rose up from the ground, blocking their path.

"I told you we were not finished," growled the ghoul. "But one of the Warrior's spirits certainly is..."

"That's right," said Ramesus. If either one holds back from this point on, I'll eliminate them BOTH."

"Oh come ON!" muttered Rocket Warrior as he drew. His eyes went wide. "Oh no..." He had a sick feeling in his stomach, made worse as Snatch Steal's effect came into play.

Red-Eyes: 300  
Rocket Warrior: 1100

"Hold back, and you both die," warned Ramesus. "I do believe that makes this the final turn."

"What does he mean by that?" demanded the Paladin.

"He means this..." said Rocket Warrior. "I play the spell Premature Burial to bring back the Rocket Warrior you sacrificed using Soul Exchange." As he played the card, the ring grew just a little around him.

Red-Eyes: 300  
Rocket Warrior: 300

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"And I'll sacrifice him for..." Time seemed to halt completely. "Mobius the Frost Monarch."

"It's over..." muttered Ashes.

The Rocket Warrior faded as Mobius came into existence, an ice giant with an axe to grind.

Mobius the Frost Monarch: 2400/1000

"And I'll use his special ability to destroy both your magic cards." Rocket Warrior said it mournfully. Those cards were really Red-Eyes' only defense.

Mobius did as he was told, swinging his club and shattering both magic cards. No longer bound by Snatch Steal, the purloined Rocket Warrior returned to his twin.

"Looks like your Dragon's about to be slain," mocked Ramesus.

"...I'm sorry..." said Rocket Warrior. Red-Eyes nodded, understanding.

"I fear I have failed you," said the Paladin.

CV clenched his fists as his mind raced for a solution. "There has to be something, but what?" Slowly, his memories returned to the day Yugi and Ishizu had spoken to the Good Duelists... More specifically, to the two cards Ishizu had given him.

_"You will know when the time is right,"_ she had said.

"THE TIME HAS COME!" yelled CyberV as he reached into his side deck and pulled out the one card that could possibly stop the madness.

"To lose?" asked Ramesus.

"No, to reveal the power... OF YIN-YANG FUSION!" He stuck the card into his duel disk, and ground began to tremble.

"What's going on?!" demanded Nat.

"A miracle," said CV as the ground all around the duel erupted and vaporized, revealing a gigantic glowing Yin-Yang symbol beneath it. "Yin-Yang Fusion is an incredibly powerful spell card. It allows the user to take one Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and one Rocket Warrior, from the hand, deck, or graveyard, and summons them to the field. THEN, it acts like two Polymerizations in one."

He grinned as he looked at Ramesus. "Let's see how your shadow game holds up when my Spirits get better acquainted with each other, shall we?" The symbol began to spin, taking with it spectral copies of both spirits, spinning until the copies were imposed over the opposite monsters.

Both began to glow. As the light faded, it was obvious that they'd both undergone an amazing transformation.

Rocket Warrior looked at himself, seeing that what was once green was black, and what was black had become red. His eyes glowed red, and he felt new power surging through him.

"Whole new look, same great attitude!"

Red-Eyes' transformation was more dramatic, as massive cannon barrels materialized under his wings, and emerald armor formed over his body.

Together, they both moved quickly, and shattered the shadow rings around them.

"Hard for your rings to destroy one of my spirits, when they've merged, isn't it?" asked CV.

Ramesus growled.

"Meet the Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior, and the Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon! Guys, I'd say it's time for a little revenge."

"Got that right," said Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior. "HEY! RAMESUS! TRY MY RED-EYES ROCKET SLASH!" RERW blasted forward, moving faster than the eye could follow, hitting Ramesus several times in quick succession. Ramesus staggered back, injured and extremely angry.

"And I doubt Red-Eyes has forgotten you," muttered CV towards Ryu Kokki, who found no shadows to hide in as RERD's cannons charged up. "NUCLEAR INFERNO FIRE!" The cannons released two megaton missiles, which slammed into Ryu Kokki, knocking him into Ramesus.

"It's... not enough!" boasted Ramesus as he regained his footing, Ryu Kokki recovering as well.

"Oh, did I mention that they're union monsters?"

"...what?"

"COMBINE!" RERW rocketed up, and took his place at the head of the mighty dragon. CV glanced at the two villains. "Word of advice? Run."

"This isn't over!" roared Ramesus. "I'll be back!"

"Yeah, I know... NAIL 'EM!"

"With pleasure," said RERW. "YIN-YANG DUAL FIRESTORM!" Two massive energy beams lanced out, striking Ramesus and Ryu Kokki directly. They landed in a heap.

"Next time..." threatened Ramesus as his blood red Wjdat symbol glowed. The ground beneath them glowed as he reopened the portal, and both he and his spirit slipped back through to Earth.

Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior glowed as they transformed back to normal.

"That's our ticket home!" said Hikari. "Last one through buys dinner!" She ran for the portal and sank through, the Flame Swordsman shaking his head, slightly embarrassed, followed dutifully, followed quickly by Nat and Cyber Dragon.

"Thanks for everything," said Cyber V as he collected his deck from Rocket Warrior. He turned to see the Paladin, but the monster was gone, leaving only his card and the Red-Eyes deck behind. CV picked them up, noticing as Jay and the Creator slipped through the portal.

"It was my pleasure," said Dark Magician Girl. "But you CAN do me one favor..."

"What's that?"

"Take flying lessons."

CV flopped.

"You coming?" asked Ashes as Flame Sprite went through.

"On my way," he said, tucking Yin-Yang Fusion back into his sidedeck. As he did, Red-Eyes went through the portal. Rocket Warrior sighed as he watched CV catch up to Ashes.

"I'd say I'm gonna miss this place, but I'm really, REALLY not gonna." He went through the portal.

"So," asked CV. "Chinese?"

"You know how to use chopsticks?" asked Ashes.

"I can learn," he said as they stepped into the portal together. Dark Magician Girl watched as it closed behind them.

"Glad that's over..." she said, relieved. "And now..." She heaved again. "To kill him for that flight..."

* * *

Ramesus slunk back to his office in sheer agony. The day had been a total failure, and a complete fiasco.

"You'll rue this day," he swore. "Very, very soon..." He blacked out from the pain, and dreamed of bloody revenge.

* * *

CV chuckled as Jay and Nat argued over who was getting the last Egg Fu Yung patty. While they did so, Hikari skillfully swiped it. It had been a long and trying day, but they were all still together, still a team. That was the real victory.

"You were amazing out there," said the Flame Sprite to Rocket Warrior, who laughed it off.

"Aw, wasn't anything special. Any red-blooded duel spirit would have done the same."

"You're not just any spirit," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. Rocket Warrior blushed.

"Still thinking about Ramesus?" asked Ashes.

"Yeah," said CV. "We stopped him today, but he'll just be stronger the next time, and he won't rest until he's had his revenge."

"Then we won't rest either," said Ashes. "Not until we've stopped him once and for all."

CV nodded.

* * *

Once things had quieted down, and the remaining food put away, CV pulled out his cell phone and dialed a special number.

"Yugi? It's CV. Listen, I've got a message from a mutual friend..."

* * *

Atem watched all this, and smiled.

Next Time: McMike and Void! The Best of Rivals!


	18. McMike and Void! The Best of Rivals!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: With the clock ticking, the Good Duelists began a recruitment drive to prepare the remaining students for the inevitable attack by Ramesus and his followers. In response, Ramesus stepped up his own recruitment drive. Ramesus was recently injured in the Monster World, during an attempt to destroy CV's duel spirits.

* * *

The two rivals, their competition eternal in all things, glared at each other from opposite sides of the room. With nothing to stand between them, their battle would be swift, fierce, and decisive. Such was the way of Ninja. They both lived by their own code of honor and ethics, and each would remain true to those codes until the end, no matter what.

One shifted his foot slightly, and the other took it as his cue to attack. Charging forward, he leapt into an attack. However, that was what his opponent wished for, and the instant he leapt, his enemy did so as well.

They came within striking distance of another and-

_"Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting..."_

The unexpected music distracted both ninja, and they crashed into each other before falling to the floor.

_"Their moves were fast as lightning..."_

McMike and Void looked up and glared at CyberV, who was sitting on the gym bleachers munching popcorn and playing music.

"...What?" He shrugged.

_"And it was a little bit frightening..."_

_

* * *

_

CV was tossed out of the gym in a heap, followed by his popcorn, which scattered all over him, and the ipod, which clocked him in the skull.

"...Was it something I said?"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 18: McMike and Void! The Best of Rivals!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Behind his desk, grimacing in pain from wounds not yet healed, Ramesus regarded Greekman, his predecessor and second in command. He knew that while Greekman behaved like he didn't care about the role of leader, he would one day challenge him for it. But today, despite his weakened state, was not that day.

"I have an assignment for you."

"I'm ready," said Greekman, all business. "What is it?"

"My powers are in a weakened state at the moment. I feel we must increase our numbers to keep LazyMan's little group from taking advantage of the situation. To that end, I've located two promising candidates." Ramesus slid two files forward. Greekman picked them up and thumbed through each.

"The ninja specialists? They're two of the best in the school. People fear them almost as much as they fear us."

"Precisely. Ninja are sneaky, underhanded, swift and merciless, all qualities I appreciate in abundance." He looked Greekman in the eyes. "Get them by whatever means necessary."

"Consider it done," said Greekman, before turning and leaving the office. Once he was gone, Ramesus let the facade fall and held his injured shoulder. He still ached all over from the attacks he'd endured... He'd underestimated the Warrior. That would not happen again...

* * *

"You should really learn to keep your distance from those two," said Nat as she idly picked a buttery kernel off of CV's jacket. They were in the Good Duelists' common room, their usual hangout when they needed to unwind.

"I can't help it. With BA gone, they're the only real spectacle left for a self respecting Otaku nut."

"You're forgetting yourself," she rightly pointed out.

"Oh yeah..." CV smirked, then turned at the sound of a knock at the door.

"I'm back," said Mouse, walking on crutches.

"Welcome home," said CV, meaning it. Life just wasn't the same without her to antagonize.

"Good to be home," she said as the two duelists moved to help her into a seat. Sighing with relief, Mouse leaned back. "I thought they'd NEVER let me leave."

"Well, we did try to get them to keep you..." said CV.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" yelled Mouse as she clobbered CV with one of her crutches.

"...for our own safety..." he finished while lying on the ground, dazed.

"You never learn, do you?" asked Nat, not really expecting an answer.

"I see he's already back to normal," noted Mouse. "LazyMan filled me in on what happened while I was gone. You really fought Ramesus head on?"

"Yeah, we did," said Nat, remembering, and shuddering at, her experience in the Shadow Realm. "You should have seen it."

"I'll bet it was amazing." said Mouse, envious of the adventure.

"You forgot spectacular, sensational, Web Of..." joked CV before Mouse hit the still prone duelist with her crutch again. "OW!"

"In any case, LazyMan feels we need to try being more aggressive with the recruitment. Some of the most promising students are still out there, and we need to get to them before Ramesus does."

"People like McMike and Void?" asked Nat.

"Exactly," said Mouse. "Why bring them up?"

"They hit almost as hard as you," muttered CV as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"Annoying the ninjas again, I see."

"How was I supposed to know they weren't wearing pajamas!?!"

"Quiet." Mouse poked him in the head with her crutch.

"In any case, yes, they're a good start. Do what you can..." She glared at CV. "And you, just try not to die, okay?"

CV muttered under his breath.

"Is the dying part negotiable?" asked Nat.

* * *

"Okay," said Nat as she watched the two ninja duelists train. "Let me handle this. Just try not to be an idiot." CV muttered again. Nat got up from the bleachers and went down to where they were sparring.

"Excuse me," she said as they sized each other up. "I was wondering if-"

"No."

"Not a chance."

They returned to their training, much to Nat's dismay. She growled.

"You haven't even heard what I have to say!"

"Don't care."

"Maybe if you were blonde."

Nat felt her eye twitch. "What?"

"You wanna ask one of us out."

"Every girl does." Nat scowled. Mouse snorted in derision. CV chuckled. Mouse hit him with the crutch again.

"OW!"

"Not... exactly why I was coming over here."

"You sure?"

"We're hot."

Nat sweatdropped.

"You could color your hair..."

"Or wear a wig. Wigs work."

"Yeah, THAT would work..." she repeated, clenching her fist and trying hard to not haul off and slug the pair.

"Ten bucks says she hits them."

"No bet." Mouse rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"And maybe a little more support-"

"THAT'S IT!" CV winced as he heard two loud punches. Both ninjas hit the ground, twitching.

"He meant support cards for your deck..."

"...Oh," said Nat, rubbing her hand.

"Well, so much for plan A," muttered CV.

"This isn't going well..." groaned Mouse.

In the shadows, Greekman chuckled. These fools would make his job simplicity itself. All he needed to do was wait.

* * *

"Well," said LazyMan, "you put both in the hospital wing, and didn't even get to ask them. Nice work."

"I SAID I was sorry," said Nat, grudgingly.

"And did YOU even try anything?" demanded LazyMan of CV, who looked chagrined.

"Well, I did try ONE thing..." he said.

* * *

Two hours earlier...

"You guys okay?" asked CV, once the nurse had finished giving them fresh bags of ice.

"Oh," muttered McMike. "It's YOU."

"I think we've suffered enough, thanks." added Void, disdainfully.

"Oh come on, I'm not THAT bad," said CV.

"We saw that duel of your's. The one from the mall. We are NOT subjecting ourselves to that Megazord deck of your's."

CV sighed at McMike's comment. "Relax, I'm not looking for a duel. I was just hoping you guys could teach me more about ninja strategies."

"For that crazy deck? Forget it. We don't wanna be implicated in the construction of that thing."

CV sweatdropped. "It's not like I'm completely clueless about ninjas, you know."

"Oh, really?" asked Void.

"Yeah, I know a bit."

"Fine. Try us." said Void. "But I swear, if we hear the phrase 'Ninja Storm: Ranger Form', we'll hurt you badly."

There was a pregnant pause. CV turned on his heel and walked away. "Never mind..."

* * *

"You're kidding."

"I wish," groaned Mouse. She smacked CV in the head.

"OW!" CV rubbed his head. "Cut that out!"

She smacked him again. "Quiet."

"This is embarrassing..." muttered Rocket Warrior as he and the dragons appeared. Red-Eyes and Cyber Dragon sweatdropped.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" asked Nat. "I don't think they're interested."

"Then we just have to try a different approach," said Mouse.

"But what?" asked CV.

* * *

McMike and Void, now out of the infirmary, were again sparring in the school gym.

"So," asked Hikari, "what exactly are we doing here?" She and the rest of the gang were sitting in the stands, watching the ninjas spar for the third time in an hour. It was, to say the least, monotonous.

"No idea," admitted Jay. "I just know not to mess with Mouse. She says we go somewhere, we go somewhere."

"It probably has something to do with our attempts to recruit those two," said Nat, her arms crossed as she was deep in thought.

"What makes those two so special?" asked Ashes. "I mean, besides the fact that they're totally awesome, great duelists, and cool fighters? Oh, wait, I think I just answered my own question." She paused. "Do they give autographs?"

"I don't see how she thinks she can get them to sign up," said CV. "They're pretty much loners to the core. They're not big on making friends."

"Neither was I," said Nat, reminding him. "In case you forgot..." She glared at him. "I was FORCED into this friendship. If I'd had my way, we wouldn't even know each other's names."

She turned away from him and returned her gaze to the sparring match.

"...And now?"

She let the question hang for a moment.

"And now... I... don't know. You're still the most annoying little twit this side of Big Andy, but you come through when people really need you. I didn't expect that when we met. I thought you were just another amateur in need of tutoring."

"...He WAS!" exclaimed Jay.

CV sweatdropped. "Feeling the love here, people..."

"Well, it's true," said Nat. "LazyMan ordered us to hang with you, to make sure you were ready."

"And it's because of you guys that I'm improving so quickly," admitted CV. "But you also give me something worth dueling for."

"You sound like an after-school special..." muttered Hikari, groaning.

"Oh, perish forbid..." muttered CV. "But come on. We're having a moment here."

Ashes snickered. "It couldn't be THAT bad for you out there, could it? I mean, everyone has at least one friend."

"Not me," said CV, looking down. "I was always the odd guy out, the one no one wanted anything to do with. It didn't matter what I tried, or whom I approached, the results were always the same. I got ridiculed, ignored, or walked all over. I guess it was my own fault... I was always quiet, lost in thought..."

"I'd like to see that..." noted Hikari.

"When I got sick of it, I adopted the smartalek pop culture nut personality you guys usually see. I was still hated by almost everyone, but at least I stood out in a crowd. And when I was able to get my own Duel Disk, I thought I could make a fresh start on the tournament circuit, but I almost never got any cards I could use, not unless I bought them online or traded a lot for them. I was a joke all over again... But you know what happened next."

"My dad," said Hikari.

"Yeah, he saw something in me. Something I didn't see myself. I owe him a debt I can never repay... But I'm gonna try anyway."

"You could start by not being a dork," suggested Hikari, causing CV to sweatdrop.

"And the moment is officially lost..." He sighed.

"Well, I always looked at it differently," said Ashes.

"Oh?" CV looked up.

"Yeah, you DEFINITELY make things more interesting."

CV almost flushed red at that.

"Dude, are you BLUSHING?" asked Jay.

"Ummm... No..." CV looked away, embarrassed.

"Oh, you are TOTALLY blushing," said Hikari.

"Okay, enough," said Ashes. "Here comes Mouse." The team looked down in time to see Mouse, struggling to walk without her crutches, enter the arena. Despite an obvious limp, she looked every bit the proud duelist her reputation implied.

"Gentlemen, I need to have a word with you."

Void and McMike paused in their sparring match to take in the sight before them.

"Well, hello..." said a slightly stunned McMike. "I see we have a vision in our midst."

"And cheesy lines like you wouldn't believe..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

"I hope you have a good reason for interrupting our training," warned Void. "We're tired of distractions."

"Well, by all means, continue," said Mouse. "That is..." She cracked her neck. "If you don't mind me joining in."

"...They're dead," determined Jay.

"At least I'M not getting smacked around for once..." muttered CV.

Nat swatted him. "Don't count on it."

"Aw man..."

McMike scoffed at that. "You're a girl... AND injured. It would be an unfair battle."

"I disagree," said Mouse. "With my leg injured, you might actually stand a chance against me."

Both ninja raised their eyebrows. If nothing else, the girl had fire in her. Mouse took a fighting stance.

"On your guard!" She said as she quickly spun to deliver a tornado kick that both ninjas, surprised, nonetheless dodged deftly.

"A good opening," allowed Void. "But that is all," he said as he and McMike both flipped forward, forcing Mouse to step back to avoid the elbow thrusts that came at the end of their maneuver.

"Good openings can lead to more fulfilling discussions," said Mouse as she tucked and rolled between the two ninjas, coming up behind them.

"So start talking," said McMike as he swung at her, a feint for his true attack, a sudden reverse spin kick. She blocked it, swallowing the pain she felt from her gunshot wound.

"There is a battle coming," she said as Void kicked at her. She caught his foot and pushed back, knocking him off balance. He regained his footing in a heartbeat. "Between good and evil, and I was sent by those representing Good to recruit you."

"Yes," said McMike, as she ducked under a quick jab, "we've heard rumors about this. But why us?"

"Because you are two of the best duelists in the school," said Mouse, blocking a series of punches from Void with her hands. "We could use people with your talents when the battle arrives."

"We have heard that Evil intends to revive something called the Shadow Games," said Void, stepping back to plan a new attack as McMike took over with a thrust kick Mouse parried. "Is it true that the loser forfeits their soul?"

"It CAN happen," admitted Mouse as she went into a spinning handstand, kicking both ninjas with her legs in the process. She felt a fresh stab of pain from her injury. She went from her handstand to a crouch to tend to her wound, even as McMike and Void got back up, impressed at the move.

"But we have no reason to endanger ourselves like that," said Void.

"So here's a proposition," added McMike. "We'll give you one day to come up with a REASON to join. An incentive, if you will."

Mouse looked them in the eyes as they bowed to each other. "I accept your challenge."

"Very well," said Void. "We wish you luck, for you shall need it."

Mouse turned away from the ninjas and walked towards the stands. She looked at the team. Her meaning was obvious... "Get to work." She kept walking right out the exit.

"...Okay, NEVER wanna mess with her," said Ashes.

"Well," said Jay, "We've got 24 hours to figure something out... Good luck," he said to CV and Nat.

"This'll be fun," said Hikari, joining him.

"HEY!" said both CV and Nat.

"Sorry..." Ashes shrugged. "It's your recruitment job, not ours'. But we're rooting for you."

"Very helpful," said Nat, deadpan.

"Well," said CV as the others left, "Maybe we should get advice from our friends."

* * *

"You should dress like Naruto!" said Big Andy over the phone. "Everyone loves Naruto!"

"I don't do costumes," said CV.

Nat raised an eyebrow and glanced at CV's Jimmy Kudo outfit. CV sweatdropped. "Thanks anyway, BA. Take care of yourself." He hung up.

"Not ONE word," said CV to Nat. "Not ONE."

"Oh, I think plenty's been said already..."

* * *

"You should play to your strengths," said Strong Man. "Like ninja, you've very good at doing the unexpected."

CV gave that some thought. "The unexpected, eh?"

"...Why do I have the feeling that giving you advice is ALWAYS a bad idea?"

"Because it is," said Nat.

* * *

"There they are," said CV. "Wish me luck."

"This can't end well," muttered Nat.

"Why am I here again?" asked Strong Man.

"So you can see why you should never tell him to play to his strengths."

CV ignored that and moved to intercept McMike and Void.

"Gentlemen..."

"Punching bag..."

CV ignored that crack. "I am told that ninja rely on the advantage of surprise to attain their goals, correct?"

"Very true," said Void. "Your point?"

"This." CV pulled out a plastic green sphere. Nat groaned, recognizing it as a Samurai Morpher from the dork's sentai collection.

"We have told you before," said McMike, "to not annoy us with this frivolity."

"That little toy is useless."

"Not really," said CV, as he tossed it right at McMike's skull, resulting in a satisfying smack. "Surprise."

"You hold him down," said McMike, rubbing his head. "I'll handle the beating."

"Agreed."

Strong Man sweatdropped. "I can't believe he did that."

Nat winced. "I can't believe the use they just invented for that ball. Oh, I can't watch..."

Greekman observed all of this with dark amusement. Surely, the fool could never succeed at recruiting the two, but Mouse could. In fact, he was certain he already knew the incentive she would use to lure them to the side of Good.

It was a clever move, worthy of a true ninja.

But he had an offer of his own to make. He would swoop in and dash any hopes she had of recruitment.

* * *

"They did WHAT with the ball?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," muttered CV as he sat on a pillow in Mokuba's office.

"Oh dear..." Mokuba blanched at the thought.

"That image is bored into my brain!" whined Rocket Warrior. "I'll have nightmares for a month!"

"Maybe you need to change tactics. Is there anything else you could try?"

"Just what Big Andy suggested... Dressing up as Naruto."

"I thought we were trying to recruit WITHOUT getting you beaten up again."

"That's what I said!"

* * *

"Just try being their friend," suggested Tapkar. "Be a friend, you'll make friends."

"Worth a shot," admitted CV.

* * *

"How'd it go?" asked Tapkar an hour later.

"...Would a real friend agree to be the target of an archery contest?"

"No."

"Then not well." CV walked off, pulling an arrowhead out of his belt.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT BY TAKING A SHOT!"

* * *

The deadline arrived quickly, and once more, the members of Good sat in the stands as Mouse approached the two ninjas.

"Your time is up. What is your incentive?"

Mouse opened her mouth to speak, but, from the shadows, Greekman cleared his throat loudly. Stepping into the light, he grinned maliciously.

"Before the lady speaks, gentlemen, I extend an invitation from the Evil Duelists."

"Your counterpart, I assume," said Void to Mouse.

"Not hardly," she said, glaring at the intruder.

"The Evil Duelists," said Greekman, "will soon rule this school, and a great deal more. Join us and share in the victory to come."

"If you wish to invite us, offer us an incentive to become involved."

"I offer you power. The power of the Shadow Games. The power to crush the very souls of your enemies and conquer this world."

"A... tempting offer," said Void. He and McMike turned to Mouse. "And your offer?"

"You can beat up the dork anytime, anywhere, consequence-free."

"HEY!" yelled CV before Nat smacked him. "OW!"

"Works for me," said Void, stepping towards Mouse.

"Don't I get a say in this?" asked CV.

"NO." said everyone else.

"I'm not so sure," said McMike. "Your offer is most tempting... But there's something about power that I find alluring..."

Void turned to look at his friend. "I don't understand... We've always done everything together."

"Yes, I know. We're closer than brothers... But we are still separate people with separate paths. And regardless of what side we are on, we will always be friends and rivals to the end. This changes nothing. This does not change us. When this is over, we will remain as we were, and stronger for it."

"Just don't forget that," said Void as he and McMike shook hands. "Good luck."

"Save it for yourself." McMike smirked.

Slowly, they pulled apart, heading in separate directions. Mouse and Greekman each guided their recruit away, only half successful in their tasks.

"I really want a say in this..." said CyberV before getting bopped in the head.

* * *

"You only recruited one?" asked Ramesus.

"I did my best," said Greekman. "Mouse's offer was... more effective than I'd believed."

"No matter. The scales remain as they were." Ramesus thought of CV, and clenched his fist. "But someday, I shall tip them in our favor once and for all..."

* * *

"Well, I've shown Void the ropes," reported Mouse to Lazyman. "A shame I couldn't get McMike as well."

"Even getting one was an accomplishment. Good work."

"Yeah," muttered CV, sitting in the corner. "Now I have to wear a helmet in duel training."

"Oh, get over it. You have a hard skull. You take MY punches, remember?"

"No."

"...Oh dear..."

"I don't quite understand everything that happened," admitted Nat, sipping tea. "How'd you know that either of them would go for your offer?"

"It was simple," said Mouse. "I invited you guys to my attempt for a reason. I knew that our resident idiot wouldn't be able to resist trying to help, and make a total nuisance of himself in the process. Thus, when I made my offer, it was too tempting to ignore."

CV flopped. "I hate you..."

"I know, and that's cute, but your first 'session' with Void's in five minutes."

"eep"

* * *

"This has NOT been a good week," said CV, rubbing a welt on the back of his head.

"You'll get used to it," said Nat.

"So, have you decided?"

"Decided what?"

"If you would choose to be friends with me again?"

"Oh. Right. Actually, yeah, I would choose it."

"How come?"

"It's fun smacking you."

CV flopped.

"I'm kidding," said Nat.

"It's hard to tell with you," said CV, getting up.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"At least you joke now."

"You're rubbing off on me."

"I'm wearing you down, huh?"

"Don't push it."

"yes ma'am..."

"You're a goofball, but like I said, you come through when the chips are down. There aren't many people who would keep fighting the good fight after some of the things you've experienced. That you keep going is a testament to your strength of character. That you keep being a goofball is a testament to the brain damage you've suffered as a result of all the poundings."

"Me think real good, thanks." Nat rolled her eyes and bopped him again.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Void said something while you were recovering from the session."

"What'd he say?"

"That he was surprised you didn't dress up like Naruto. They're huge fans of that manga. He's convinced that if you'd done that, McMike would have said yes."

CV stopped in his tracks as Nat kept walking. His jaw dropped and his eye twitched.. Nat snickered and kept walking down the hall.

"Aw MAN..."

Next Time: Jay's Tale. Behold, the Fire of Courage!


	19. Jay's Tale! The Fire of Courage!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Among the duelists attending the Arcane Academy is Jay, a confident fire specialist. Jay recently acquired his own duel spirit, the Creator. Also attending the school is Jay's old friend Tapkar. In recent weeks, the team has taken to annoying Ikke with increasingly creative stunts.

* * *

Jay and Tapkar sat under the old oak tree, watching as the sun rose over the horizon.

"It's beautiful," said Tapkar. "The kind of day where you just have to sit back and enjoy it."

"You said it." agreed Jay. "Today... No shadow games, no evil to fight, and no way I'm getting dragged into the insanity our resident dork has planned."

"You're still doing that?" asked Tapkar, astonished. "Huh. I'd've thought Ikke woulda cracked by now."

"Oh, he has. Repeatedly. But everybody needs a hobby." Jay shrugged and grinned.

"So... What is he gonna do?"

Jay snickered. "You REALLY wanna know?"

* * *

CyberV gave the item one last dab of paint. It was PERFECT.

"It's ready!" he said, excited, as he picked it up to show the others.

"Awesome!" said Ashes.

"I can't believe you're going through with this," said Nat.

"No way is this gonna work," said Hikari, bemused.

CV held his creation over his head. It was a stone, painted red, black and white, in the form of the head of one of the most famous fictional characters ever created.

"Oh, it'll work," said CV. "SPIDER-ROCK LIVES!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 19: Jay's Tale! The Fire of Courage!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Jay

* * *

"I never thought I'd wind up here," said Jay. "Not at this school, and not with such good friends." The wind was blowing slightly. It felt good, and he paused to just enjoy it.

"I know the feeling," said Tapkar. "We've both come a long way."

"And we've got to go even further if we're gonna become professional duelists."

"We'll manage," said Tapkar. "You know, you've never actually told me how you discovered the game."

Jay smirked. "There's really not that much to tell..."

* * *

Several years ago...

_My parents always fought over the phone. I lived with my dad, a war hero with more commendations that I can remember. But what I remember most about growing up with him was the arguments with Mom. I never really heard what she was saying, but I got the feeling they were arguing about me._

_I guess she didn't want me, so after I was born, she left, and I only got to know her through the occasional phone call, when she felt like speaking to me..._

_But anyway, like I was saying, it was during one of their arguments that I discovered Duel Monsters. Dad was screaming about taking responsibility, one of his favorite topics, so I knew I had time to kill. But it was raining outside, and nothing good was on, so I puttered around the house instead, looking for something to do._

_I couldn't play my guitar, since Dad was on the phone, so I decided instead to explore the attic, something I hadn't done since I was just a little kid. I found my flashlight and quietly made my way up._

_Dad liked talking about responsibility, but when it came to dusting, his methods left much to be desired. The attic was basically a dust museum, and I sneezed almost instantly. This was where memories went to die... When Mom left, Dad had just packed everything she left behind up here, so it would still be there when she returned._

_But Dad avoided this place because of that stuff. For me, it was the easiest way to learn about her. So, I began exploring, trying to learn more about my parents. Still, there didn't seem much to discover. Some old clothes, some jewelry... Frighteningly, a complete collection of Weird Al recordings..._

_And a trunk with a rusted lock. I'd remembered that trunk from my early days. It belonged to my dad, and he'd said he'd long ago lost the keys. He'd not sounded happy about it, as losing the key had separated him from something he cared deeply about._

_But that rusted lock encouraged me to try something. I turned off the flashlight and used it like a club on the lock. Once, twice, three times... And it snapped off, clattering to the ground, heralding the emergence of whatever my father had long ago lost._

_Opening the trunk, I found more of my father's medals, some photographs, and a small box. Curious, I opened it up._

_And there, for the first time, I saw my father's duel deck. I was astonished, as he'd never displayed any interest in the game before. I took it out and began going through, surprised to see it was largely a fire based deck. I couldn't believe it. My father, a duelist, like Yugi Mutou or Seto Kaiba!_

_I looked at those cards for hours, figuring out his strategies. I must have fallen asleep, because I remember waking up in my bed, still holding the deck. If nothing else, I guess Dad knew I'd broken the lock..._

_But he didn't get mad. Instead, he taught me everything he knew about the game. It became my obsession, and soon I was good enough to enter tournaments. After a little practice, I began making the final four. But I knew I could get better yet._

_Of course, I'd soon learn that there was more to dueling that just... well, dueling...

* * *

_

Present Day...

"OKAY PEOPLE!" yelled Ikke through his megaphone. "It's time for duel training!" He smirked. He hadn't seen the so-called Warrior all day. "You know the drill. Pair off show what you've learned. BEGIN D-" Ikke suddenly gasped in shock as, out of nowhere, a red streak swung by, smacking into his megaphone and knocking it to the ground, where it sparked, obviously damaged beyond repair.

Ikke saw a spot of red before him, and sweatdropped as he saw what it was. A rock. Painted like Spider-Man. Tied to a string.

Several students, using megaphones of their own, began to chant.

_"Spider-Rock, Spider-Rock, Swing him through the air, wait for the sock! Look out, here comes the Spider-Rock!"_

Ikke growled and swiped his hand out to grab the rock, but it was suddenly reeled upwards and to safety. Turning and looking up, he saw CV and the girls mock-saluting him from the upper area of the stands.

"I think we got his attention," noted CV as he finished reeling in the rock.

"And on that note," said Ashes, "maybe we should get out of here before he tries to get to us..."

He looked down to see Ikke stalking towards the stairs.

"Good plan," said CV, before they bolted out the exit.

* * *

"So, that's how you learned the game, huh?" asked Tapkar.

"Yeah," said Jay. "I've never won a tournament, but I'm constantly getting better. Of course, it never helped that dad trained me while playing 'Eat It'."

Tapkar sweatdropped.

"And I've got a long way to go before I'm at the same level as my cousin..."

* * *

The past...

_I've always lived in the shadow of my cousin Zane... He's currently the top student at Duel Academy... He specializes in Cyber Dragon, just like Nat. I'd spend countless hours watching him alongside his brother Syrus._

"Wow, Big Brother's going to win again," _said Syrus._

"No doubt." _I had to agree as Zane's massive Cyber End Dragon loomed over the playing field._

Cyber End Dragon: (power bond) 8000

"Now Cyber End Dragon, ATTACK!!!" _Zane called out the attack and his monster let loose a massive blast of sheer energy that just annihilated his latest opponent utterly._

Zane: 1500

Opponent: 0

"And that's why I'm headed for the top," _said Zane._ "And you need to practice a lot more before you're a challenge to anyone." _Zane walked away. I'd always felt he was a little too cold to people not on his level, and this was no exception._

_Never mind that his opponent had one of the top 100 rankings in the city... All Zane cared about was finding someone worth his valuable time... And that didn't include me._

"That was impressive," _I said._ "That guy he faced was no pushover."

"I guess not," _said Syrus, before smiling almost ear to ear._ "Oh, I almost forgot! Look at what Big Brother gave to me!" _Syrus held up his deck, and I felt a twinge of jealousy... Zane had given him a Power Bond, possibly the strongest fusion spell in the entire game. I was personally still working with my dad's older deck, so I didn't have many of the newer cards._

"With this, I bet I could beat that guy!"

_I smiled weakly._ "Maybe. ...But not if I beat him first!" _I sprang to my feet and ran after Zane's opponent._

"HEY, WAIT UP! NO FAIR!" _Syrus was right behind me... Good thing for me he's short. I caught up to the duelist easily._

"Hang on a second!"

"Yeah?"

"I saw that duel. You're pretty good."

"Whatever... I lost."

"So?"

"So," _said Syrus,_ "we'd like to try our hand against you."

"At the same time?" _The opponent chuckled._

"Ro Sham Bo?"

"Okay," _said Syrus. Poor Syrus didn't stand a chance. Always goes for paper._

"Okay then... You and me?" _I asked, knowing that the guy had to be looking for a chance to redeem his loss._

_...And, Tapkar, buddy, no offense, but you didn't exactly give me the hardest duel of my life..._

_

* * *

_

Present Day...

Ikke was still muttering about the stunt with the rock as he went down the hall and saw a small line forming. He stopped to question another student.

"What's going on?"

"Rapid I.Q. tests," said the boy. "Two minutes is all you get, and a computer grades you based on how many you get right out of what you answer."

Ikke shrugged. "Sounds simple enough." Soon, Ikke's turn came, and he began answering questions at a rapid fire pace. He was in the middle of a complex multiplication problem when the timer buzzed.

Turning to see his ranking, he saw to his dismay, someone ahead of him.

More to the point, he saw who that someone was.

"HOW COULD A ROCK GET A PERFECT SCORE ON AN IQ TEST?!" he demanded, to which Mokuba sighed.

"Well," said Mokuba, "You're graded on the answers you get right from the questions you do. Since the rock didn't answer any, it had zero out of zero. Technically, a perfect score."

Ikke's jaw dropped and his eye twitched.

"...You're in on it, aren't you?"

Mokuba chuckled. "Could be."

That was when he saw more megaphones come out from the line of students.

_"Spider-Rock, boy he's smart, his intellect sets him apart. He just scored perfectly, and makes your score seem small as fleas. Look out, here comes the Spider-Rock!"_

The scream was most gratifying.

Watching from a distance, CV and Hikari high fived each other.

"Should we tell him that there's no such thing as a perfect score on an IQ test?" asked CV.

"Nah."

* * *

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in..." muttered Tapkar. "So I wasn't always at the top of my game. You wouldn't be either after facing down the Cyber End Dragon.

"You're probably right," admitted Jay. "But who'd've thought that when we first met, we'd wind up becoming friends?"

"I know what you mean... You were a bit of a jerk..."

Both looked up at the clouds, remembering the duel that began a friendship...

* * *

The Past...

"Good luck," said Syrus as both Jay and Tapkar shuffled their decks and put their Disks in play mode.

"Luck has nothing to do with it," said Jay.

Jay: 4000

Tapkar: 4000

"LETS DUEL!"

"Well," said Jay, "I'll start this one off" He drew six cards, while Tapkar drew five.

"Well you can draw..." said Tapkar, wanting this nonsense over with. "But a draw only does you some good if you make a move, so make one already."

"So, you want me to make a move, huh? Okay, I've got a great one in mind. In fact, it'll seal the duel up right off the bat."

"That's impossible," said Tapkar. "No one could do that on a duel's first move."

"I can," said Jay.

'If he pulls this off,' thought Syrus, 'he might just be one of the best there is...'

"And how do you plan on that?"

Jay smirked. "With this card... FINAL COUNTDOWN!" Jay placed the spell into one of his magic slots.

Jay: 2000

Tapkar: 4000

The sky darkened and thunder clapped as twenty fireballs appeared overhead, floating around until they formed a circle.

"What in the world did you just do?!" demanded Tapkar.

"It's simple," said Jay. "Final Countdown is a particularly nasty spell my father taught me to utilize. By paying 2000 of my life points, I get twenty turn counters put into play, and during each of our turns, one gets extinguished."

"So what?"

"When the last one goes out, I win automatically."

"NO! IT CAN'T BE!" Tapkar couldn't believe it.

"It's true, and what makes this card truly special? It's effect cannot be terminated by ANYTHING. You'd better be planning something spectacular, because otherwise, you're finished." Jay paused, and glanced to see Zane watching in the distance. "Again."

Tapkar growled in frustration.

"But for now, I'll set one monster card facedown, and a surprise as well." Two cards appeared. "And to insure you can't do me any damage for a while, I'll play Swords of Revealing Light!" Energy blades shot out, surrounding Tapkar. "Now you can't declare attacks for three of your turns. The first one of which starts... Now." A flame went out. "Oh, 19 to go."

'Impressive opening gambit,' thought Zane. 'He's already established a time lock on the duel and shaken his opponent's confidence. This Tapkar has talent, but he hasn't refined it. The duel is little more than a turkey shoot... The only question here is how badly will Jay destroy him.'

Tapkar felt himself beginning to sweat. Even Zane hadn't gotten control of the duel this quickly. "I'm not going down without a fight."

"Looks that way to me..."

"You little..." Tapkar drew. "One monster facedown." A card appeared. "Two face downs." Two cards appeared. "And that's all."

A second flame went out.

"Eighteen." Jay drew. "And now it's my turn. I summon Medusa Worm in attack mode!" A strange worm appeared.

Medusa Worm: 500/600

"But that monster's as weak as they come. I'll annihilate it."

"Wrong. I activate it's special ability." The Worm reared up and spat a liquid onto Tapkar's facedown monster... And the card turned to stone and shattered.

"NO WAY!"

"By flipping the Worm facedown..." The worm vanished into it's card. "I can destroy one monster on the field. Namely your only defense monster."

"And now I'll do the same... I play Raigeki Break!" The card rose up. "This destroys all facedown monsters on the field." Lightning lashed out and struck Medusa Worm's card... But as the smoke cleared... the Worm was face up again! And so was a card.

"I reveal my trap card Call of the Haunted," said Jay. "It revives my worm. And now, I'll flip it facedown again and negate the need for the trap." Medusa Worm vanished into the card again, and Call faded away. "Oh, you should have played Break BEFORE I killed your monster. Just some friendly advice."

Tapkar felt himself beginning to sweat.

"Wow... You rock, Jay!" yelled Syrus.

"Seventeen." A flame burned out.

Tapkar drew, and grumbled. "I pass my turn."

"Sixteen then." A flame snuffed. He drew, and grinned. "You're about to be in a world of hurt. I summon Creator Incarnate..." A powerful being arose up. "And I use his special ability to sacrifice him... TO SUMMON..."

"No way..."

"THE CREATOR!" A powerful man in red armor appeared.

The Creator: 2300/3000

"And I've summoned him in defense mode." The armored man knelt. "Oh, Sixteen." A flame went out.

"I draw," said Tapkar. "Three cards faced down and a monster as well." Four cards appeared, and the Swords vanished. A flame went out.

"Fifteen." Jay drew. "And things have just gotten started..."

* * *

Present Day...

"Of all the stupid idiotic childish pranks..." Ikke was muttering out loud now, almost roaring in an oddly ritualistic sense. He kept repeating the same things, working himself into a lather.

"I'm going to find them... And make them suffer... Oh yes... It will all be worth it in the end..."

"Make who suffer?" asked CV, coming up behind him.

"YOU!" Ikke turned, ready to strangle the obnoxious upstart.

"Now now.. Tsk tsk. No manners at all." CV waved an admonishing finger. "That's no way to talk to the guy who's supposed to save your country."

"You just shut up about my country! You're no savior! You're a menace!"

"No... That's Dennis. I'm just good ole' CV..."

Ikke glared at CV hard enough to peel paint.

"Okay, NOT feeling the love there, buddy."

Ikke growled.

"Now now... I'm not the one you're mad at. See, the girls and I have a bet going. We got to talking, and we decided to see who was right... Could the great Ikke... be outmaneuvered... out smarted... and outdueled... by a rock. And I gotta, say, right now, you're 0 for 2.."

Ikke advanced on CV, flexing his hands, tensed to throttle the wisenheimer once and for all.

CV went around a corner... Ikke charged after him... Only to see, on the other side, CV was strapping on his duel disk.

"So, you're finally going to duel me for real? GOOD! I can crush you for certain this time!"

"I'm not your opponent," said CV, grinning. He moved his hand away from the top of the disk... Sitting there was Spider-Rock. "HE is."

"You lousy little..."

"What? Can't beat a rock, Ikke? What's that say about the great champion?" CV cocked an eyebrow, knowing just how to provoke Ikke into taking up the unlikely challenge.

"Man, you have really crossed the line this time," said Rocket Warrior. "He's ready to spit nails. In your face."

CV just smirked.

"Oh, this CAN'T end well..."

"I'll bet you can't outduel this ROCK." said CV, placing a new deck into his disk.

Ikke starred daggers at CV, but pulled out his Disk and strapped it on. "I'll beat your stupid little stunt," he said. "Then, I'm going to hurt you. Badly."

"We'll see."

Ikke: 8000

Spider-Rock: 8000

"DUEL!"

"The Rock goes first," said CV... And paused.

Ikke waited.

And waited...

And waited...

"Are you making a move or not?!"

"He's thinking," said CV. "All good strategies take time and precision. Not that you'd know."

Ikke growled. And waited. There was nothing else he could do.

* * *

The past...

Jay: 2000

Tapkar: 4000

Jay drew. "And now I'll discard a magic card to activate The Creator's special ability! By doing this, I can summon The Creator Incarnate in defense mode!" Another armored man appeared, crouching.

The Creator Incarnate: 1600/1500

"I end my turn... FOURTEEN." A flame went out.

Tapkar looked at his hand, and saw his only hope of a defense was on the field.

"I FLIP-SUMMON THE OBNOXIOUS CELTIC GUARDIAN!" The elf warrior appeared.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian: 1400/1200

"He cannot be destroyed by attacks of 1900 or higher."

Jay chuckled. "And between my Medusa Worm and Creator Incarnate, that worries me HOW?"

Tapkar's eyes went wide. 'He's right! Medusa can destroy my monster easily, and Incarnate's stronger, but under 1900! He's got me trapped!'

"I... end my turn..." A flame went out.

"Thirteen." Jay smiled. This guy was losing it to make such a bad play. It was time to twist the knife.

"I pass my turn." A flame went out. "Twelve." Adding insult to injury, Jay didn't even bother looking at his new card.

"Tapkar drew, and suddenly felt hope. "You should have attacked when you had the chance." Thunder boomed. "I SACRIFICE THE CELTIC GUARDIAN TO SUMMON GREAT MAJU GARZETT!" The Guardian faded away as a much larger monster took the field.

Great Maju Garzett: 2800/0

"His special ability makes his attack double that of the monster sacrificed to summon him!"

"And that saves you from the Creator HOW?" asked Jay, blandly.

Tapkar hesitated... And folded. "I end my turn."

"Pity," said Jay as another flame went out. "Twelve. You should have at least tried to destroy my Incarnate or Medusa Worm. Maybe next turn..." He shrugged as he drew. "One card facedown, and that's all." A card appeared on his field. A flame went out. "Eleven."

Tapkar drew.

"Reveal trap card," said Jay. It flipped up, revealing an odd trap. "This is the Pyro Clock of Destiny. It moves the full turn count up by one... So..." Another 2 flames went out. "NINE."

Tapkar was beginning to shake. "ATTACK HIS CREATOR INCARNATE!" Great Maju Garzett let loose with a mighty blow, and Creator Incarnate shattered. Jay didn't even flinch or blink.

"I was wondering when you'd show a few guts. Not enough, though."

Tapkar was stunned. How could he not react to such a realistic hologram?!

"This Tapkar's falling apart," noted Zane. "Pitiful."

"Finish the job!" yelled Syrus.

Tapkar saw nothing useful in his hand. "I end my turn." A flame went out.

"Eight." Jay drew. "Two cards facedown. SEVEN." a flame extinguished. Two cards appeared on the field.

Tapkar drew. "KILL MEDUSA WORM!" Great Maju Garzett lashed out, shattering the card containing Medusa Worm. Again, Jay didn't flinch.

"Reveal trap cards." The two cards raised up... "Two more Pyro Clocks." Four flames went out. "THREE."

Tapkar's jaw dropped. Just when he was starting to make a comeback... "I... end my turn..." A flame snuffed.

"TWO." Jay looked at his hand. There was virtually no chance Tapkar could win now. "I think I'll pass." A flame snuffed. "ONE."

Tapkar drew, then fell to his knees. "...You win..." The last flame snuffed out. It was over.

Jay grinned. "Nice game," he said, now devoid of the chilling confidence that had unnerved Tapkar.

"...You know you're scary, right?"

"Not really... I just had to try my strategy out. No hard feelings?" He held out his hand.

"...Nope." Tapkar took it. "So, could you teach me that strategy?"

"...In time," said Jay.

Syrus cheered, and made a mental note to try and find a copy of that card. Zane watched as the two duelists bonded. Jay had a real future in the game. But just as importantly, he'd found a friend.

* * *

Present Day...

"You STILL haven't taught me that strategy..." noted Tapkar.

"I haven't?" asked Jay, innocently. He grinned. He checked his watch, and realized they'd been sitting there for hours. "Oh man! We'd better get back inside!"

"Why?"

"By now, Ikke's probably trying to rip CV's head off."

"Sounds like fun to me..." said Tapkar.

* * *

It had been twenty minutes... Of standing there, doing nothing while CV occasionally pretended to be discussing strategies with the rock. A crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle of Ikke completely losing his cool.

"MAKE YOUR MOVE ALREADY!" demanded Ikke.

"As I said, he's trying to do this right. He's never dueled before." CV shrugged. "Now, what if we do THIS?" asked CV as he pointed out another strategy to the Spider-Rock.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" yelled Ikke as he stomped over to CV, grabbed the rock off the Disk, and heaved it as hard as he could. It shattered a window and flew off into the distance.

"You lose," said CV, grinning.

"WHAT?!" Ikke grabbed him by his jacket collar.

"The Duel Monster official dueling guidelines state that touching your opponent is a violation of protocol, and results in an immediate forfeit. You touched the Spider-Rock. You lose."

Ikke's eye twitched. "...I just lost... to a ROCK?!"

"Out maneuvered..." counted CV on his fingers. "Out smarted... And now, out played. It's official. The Rock is a better teammate."

A professor came running up. "What was that noise?"

"Ikke threw a rock out the window," said Nat casually. Ikke's eyes went big.

"But I- But they... The Rock... I mean..."

"So much for that nearly perfect record," said Hikari, chuckling.

"Come with ME, young man..." said the Professor, grabbing Ikke by the ear and dragging him off, just as Jay and Tapkar arrived.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" yelled Ikke. "I'LL GET YOU I SWEAR!"

CV waved "Bye-bye" to Ikke.

"So, you happy now?" asked Jay.

"Not really," said CV, sadly. "I miss Spider-Rock already."

Jay sweatdropped. "You're crazy, aren't you?"

"Maybe a tiny bit..." allowed CV. "So, next time, I was thinking maybe we'd take a Slinky and name it Spyral..."

"You are nuts..." muttered Jay, laughing as they walked off.

* * *

Outside, Spider-Rock basked in the setting sun, it's job accomplished.

Next Time: The Annual Costume Ball! The Teams Mingle and Clash!


	20. The Annual Costume Ball!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Both sides began mass recruitment in preparation for the coming war between Good and Evil. CV and Nat came to terms with the fact that their friendship, which was forced upon them, has become real. Ramesus was injured in a battle with CV and his Duel Spirits. Jimbo debated using the remains of the Pyramid of Light. Poison developed feelings for Hikari.

* * *

Ramesus, wincing as he stood, watched as various members of his team prepared for the annual event... Perhaps the last time that his side and LazyMan's group would be able to see one another without violence breaking loose.

It would be a good opportunity for his people to learn about their enemies.

His mind flashed to the injuries sustained battling Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior. He grimaced. He'd let his guard down. The Warrior would live to regret that humiliation. He would live to regret not finishing off his enemy when he had the chance.

Why, right now, he was certain that the Warrior was planning his next move carefully, assessing strategies... He would be stronger, of that Ramesus was certain... But what would that strategy be...?

* * *

"What do you think?" asked CyberV as he held up two costumes. "Ghost super hero or musical madman?"

"Hmmm..." Rocket Warrior thought for a minute.

"Oh, I know!" said CV, quickly rearranging the parts from the two costumes to hold up a bizarre combo. "Danny Phantom of the Opera!"

Rocket Warrior sweatdropped. "Give it up..."

"Awww..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 20: The Annual Costume Ball! The Teams Clash and Mingle!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"So, who are you going as?" asked Jay absently as he worked on his costume.

"The Shadow," said CV. "Always loved that radio drama."

"Huh. Interesting..." 'So much for the betting pool. All the smart money was on a Ranger... Darn it, I needed the money...'

"And yes, I knew about the betting pool."

"GAH!" Jay flopped.

"You're welcome for the tip..." said Rocket Warrior.

"I said thank you..."

"You... snitch..." muttered Jay.

"You know, I liked it better when you couldn't see me. The things I could get away with behind your back..."

"...What do you do?"

"Oh... nothing..."

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

"I'm not telling... It's our secret." Rocket Warrior put his arm around CV.

"Hey, keep me out of it... Although I loved what you pretended to do to his head last month..."

"WHAT?!"

"I'm sworn to secrecy," said CV, mock-innocently. "Especially since saying it out loud might get me in trouble."

Several possibilities flashed through Jay's mind. He blushed and growled.

"But whatever you just thought is probably a hundred times worse..." CV snickered, and Jay tackled him.

"I'll show you!"

"GAH! I NEED THAT SPLEEN!"

"Kids..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

* * *

Allis stepped aside as a troll and a princess walked by her. The costume ball was the only thing the school was talking about. One of the few major school events, the student body was giving it's all to the proceedings.

"So, said Strong Man, coming up behind her wearing a costume resembling that of, appropriately, a circus strongman. "Are you going to the ball?"

"I... don't think so..." she said. "Dueling... I can do now... Parties... Not so much."

"Then..." said Hikari, decked out as Chun-Li, popping up on the other side of Allis, "I see we have a challenge."

"A... challenge?" Allis sweatdropped.

"Oh yeah," said Hikari, grinning.

Hearing that, Allis gulped.

* * *

Jay and CV nursed their injuries.

"You fight dirty, you know that?" asked Jay.

"I'll have you know I was freshly showered..."

"Do you two EVER quit?" Rocket Warrior sweatdropped.

"No."

"No."

Rocket Warrior slapped his forehead.

"So, are the others ready?" asked CV.

"Yeah, but everyone is keeping their costumes a secret. Half the fun is figuring out who's in what."

'Which means,' mused CV silently, 'this could be my chance to finally get to talk to Ashes alone...'

His mind wandered for a moment as he imagined her, bathed in radiant light, the sun catching her fiery red hair and making her look like an angel.

He'd felt that way for a while now about her, especially after the warehouse incident. But it was just so hard to get the words out...

'But tonight, with the secrecy of the masks... Just maybe...'

"You okay?" asked Jay. "You just zoned out."

CV blinked and blushed. "Yeah, just fine!" he said a bit too suddenly.

"Ooooooookay..." Jay shrugged. "Anyway, I need to go get into costume. The ball starts in another hour, and I'm not missing a minute of it."

Jay grabbed a box on his bed and rushed into the bathroom. CV smirked. Tonight, All Hallow's Eve, was going to be special.

* * *

Mouse looked out the window of Lazyman's office, lost in thought.

_"I've won nothing. This entire duel's a farce. I hope you're happy, Mouse. AND I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, LAZYMAN!" he yelled out loud. "I WANTED TO WIN IN A FAIR FIGHT, AND YOU'VE ONLY BROUGHT ME SHAME FOR MY FIRST WIN! I DESERVED BETTER THAN THIS, AND SO DID SHE! How DARE you force another duelist to degrade themself for your agenda!"_

CyberV's words rang in her mind... She'd sold out her honor and dignity for the good of the school... There she was, one of the strongest duelists in the Academy's history, and she'd been forced to throw a duel to a wet behind the ears rookie.

"Is everything okay?" asked Lazyman. "You've been standing there for over an hour."

"Just reflecting on the past. And thinking about my future."

"I think I understand," said Lazyman. "You need to do something, but you don't know if you should."

Mouse made no response.

"Follow your heart. You'll do what's right in the end."

At that, Mouse wondered.

* * *

"Okay... Let's get to work," said Hikari. "We don't have a lot of time, so we need to do this fast."

"But I wasn't going to go and-" Allis sweatdropped.

"Enough of that," said Hikari, cutting her off. "You're going. It's time you stopped being a wallflower and started having some fun."

Allis turned to Strong Man, as if to ask for help. He just shrugged. "I've learned not to argue with forces of nature."

"Smart boy," said Hikari, sitting Allis down on a stool and spinning her around a few times. "Oh, I think I know JUST the look for you. Strong Man, can you snag Magyk for me? I'm gonna need his help for a prop. Plus, a guy shouldn't be in the room when a lady is dressing anyway." She quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper and shoved it into his hand.

Strong Man flushed for a second, then wisely left.

Hikari cracked her knuckles. "Okay... Let's get to work."

"...eep..."

* * *

Void hesitated, then knocked on McMike's door. Ever since they'd been kids, they'd always celebrated the holidays together. Heck, every Halloween, they had a tradition. He'd go as Snake-Eyes, and McMike would go as Storm Shadow.

Well, what ELSE would a ninja go as?

But now... Now they were on opposite sides of a brewing war between Good and Evil... Could their friendship survive it?

He needed to know.

"Just a minute." he heard McMike say before the door opened. But he didn't see Storm Shadow. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah," said Void, a bit confused by McMike's outfit. Brown, with a strange haircut that was a bit like a butch ponytail meeting a crewcut. It took him a minute to figure out who McMike was going as. "Sokka, right?"

McMike's eye twitched. "Shikamaru. From Naruto."

"Oh. Are you sure, because you look like a Sokka."

"Don't make me hurt you..."

"As if," said Void, brushing off the idle threat. "So... Why the change?"

"I dunno," said McMike. "I guess I just felt it was time to have a change of pace. Besides, in case you've forgotten, we're supposed to be enemies."

Void dismissed the notion. "We're on different sides, but that doesn't make us enemies. We promised that to each other, and nothing'll break that vow. You'll see."

"Will I?" He closed the door, leaving Void to wonder which of them was right.

* * *

"My fellow Americans, welcome." George W. Bush greeted CV and Jay as they entered the party room. Jay was dressed up as Batman Beyond, and there was no denying that he made the hero look good.

"Hey, Ikke." said CV, casually.

Bush seemed to deflate, then spoke in Ikke's voice. "How'd you know it was me?"

"It would take too long to go into..." said CV, snickering as he moved past.

"Funny," said Jay. "And for all the right reasons."

"Well, I see you two are intent on spoiling my good mood," accused Ikke.

"Quite the contrary," said CV. "In fact, we're gonna do you a favor tonight."

"What's that mean?"

"You'll see..." They moved on, leaving a confused Ikke behind. CV paused by the refreshments table and deposited Spider-Rock, dressed in a homemade Batman cape and cowl, next to the punch bowl.

"You are truly demented," muttered Jay. "I can't believe you actually went looking for that thing."

"Good jokes never die. They just get recycled."

Jay snorted at that.

"So, when are the others getting here?"

"Not sure," admitted Jay. "But if you don't mind, I'm gonna hit the finger sandwiches while they're still there." Jay ducked further down the table, even as CV spotted, out of the corner of his eye, the Phantom of the Opera walking up to him.

"Warrior."

"Demented item stealing freakshow."

It was indeed Ramesus. A single word was all it took to confirm it to CV.

"I see you're none the worst for wear after our last encounter."

"And I see you didn't learn your lesson. Rocket Warrior should have hit you harder, I suppose. My mistake for holding back."

"Yes, it was, although I admit, you surprised me back in that world. You have quite the vicious streak when you put your mind to it. Such a pity you insist on following your yang over your yin. You would have made an excellent Evil Duelist."

"I prefer to have honor, thanks. But you're not one for social calls. What do you want?"

"For now, nothing," admitted Ramesus. "Today, there is a ceasefire, and I will respect it, as far as it goes. But you know how wild parties can get. There's always someone that wants to... spice things up, as it were." He chuckled. "Enjoy the ball..." Laughing to himself, Ramesus walked away.

"Going for the trick over the treat, I see..." muttered CV. "Too bad I'm holding the trump card."

* * *

"Now come on," said Strong Man, practically carrying Allis to the ball. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"They could all laugh at me or ignore me or-"

"Or you might actually, perish forbid, have a good time. Just relax." Magyk, walking alongside them, was quickly finishing some last minute touches to a hastily made staff. He had to be careful, as he didn't want to damage his tuxedo. He couldn't be Mandrake if it got stained, after all.

"Besides," said Hikari as they stopped in front of the door. "We're here." She pushed the doors open and they walked inside.

"Welcome-" was all Ikke could say before she cut him off.

"Hey, Ikke," she said with a knowing grin.

"Blast it, what gives me away?!"

"...Too easy."

"WHAT'S THAT MEAN?!"

"Oh, nothing..." They moved past Ikke and Strong Man gentle set Allis down. She was disguised by a pale robe and a blue wig. She was the spitting image of Eria the Water Charmer.

"Woah..." said a wolfman. "Check her out..."

"Gahhh..." A mummy began to gape, earning him a punch to the head from his vampiress date.

"They... like it?"

"Told you," said Hikari as Magyk handed her the staff. Allis blushed, unsure how to react.

"Now go out there," he said, "and just have some fun for once."

Allis hesitated, then nodded, allowing herself to smile and sway slightly to the music that blared from the speakers on stage.

"She's gonna be okay," said Hikari, pleased with the results.

"Good," said Magyk. "Now if you'll excuse us..."

"We've got some partying to do," finished Strong Man.

Hikari smirked as they left. She was in the mood to party herself. Pity she didn't have a date.

"Excuse me," said a voice from behind her. She turned to see the legendary comic antihero V standing there. "But may I have this dance?"

Hikari mentally shrugged. She had no idea who V was, but then again, wasn't that the point of the disguises?

"I'd be delighted," she said, taking his hand as they moved to the dance floor.

* * *

Jimbo was bored. Extremely bored. Mondo bored. No dueling. No chaos and destruction. This wasn't a Halloween Ball. This was a travesty. There he was, dressed as a demon, and he had no damage to inflict upon these unsuspecting fools.

"Not enjoying yourself?" asked Mikey. He was dressed as a zombie, but most would have just assumed he was brain dead.

They glanced over at Sonny and Carly, decked out as Bonnie and Clyde. They were tearing up the dance floor... In other words, useless for helping stir up trouble. And he had no idea where Poison was. Probably earning brownie points by running the lights.

Heck, Dark Shroud and Greekman were skipping the party altogether. Something about special training for the future.

* * *

"Got any threes?"

"...This stinks."

"So yes?"

"Yes..."

* * *

Well, no matter... He glanced over at McMike. "So, how'd you feel about stirring this witch's brew a little?"

McMike had a mischievous glint in his eye. "What'd you have in mind?"

* * *

"Welcome," said Ikke. "My fellow Americans..."

"Hey, Ikke," said Firestar. Madame Masque merely nodded.

"How... Oh, I give up..." Ikke pulled off the mask as Madame Masque and Firestar walked by.

So far, it looked like the party was gonna be a bust. No one was fooled by his disguise, and it wasn't like anyone liked him anyway. He started moving towards the exit, when he felt someone grab his hand.

Startled, he turned to see Allis looking up at him.

"Don't go..." She blushed, forcing herself to say the next few words. "I... I was hoping to see you here."

"You... were?" Ikke was confused. "Hey, I remember you. If you're looking for an apology for the initiation duel..."

"No... Nothing like that... I... I just thought you might like to dance."

"You mean... You want to dance... with me?"

Allis nodded, shyly.

"But I don't dance."

"And... I don't go to costume balls," she said with a bit more confidence now that the ball was rolling. "So... Why can't we try something new... together?"

Despite himself, Ikke found himself flush in the face.

"...Oh, why not..." he sighed, allowing himself to get dragged to the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hikari watched and grinned.

* * *

When CV saw Madame Masque and Firestar enter the room, he knew instinctively that Nat and Ashes had arrived.

Madame Masque, with her golden faceplate and jet black hair, had to be Nat. Which meant that the red-haired Firestar next to her had to be Ashes. No one else on campus had that particular shade.

Moving quickly, CV made his way towards them, only for Jay to cut him off.

"Madame, may I have the pleasure of your company?"

"You may," said Madame Masque, taking his hand as they went to join the other dancing couples.

'Jay and Nat? Who'd have thought?'

"You look lovely this evening," he said in his best Shadow voice.

"You know who I am?" asked Firestar.

"The Shadow knows," said CV, smiling behind the scarf covering his face.

"I'll bet you do," said Firestar. "So why waste time?" She took his hand. "This star wants to shine."

"Lead on," said CV, feeling like he was in heaven. It was so different from his old life.

* * *

Years ago...

CV hit the ground hard, shoved by the school bully onto the playground's mulch.

"You're such a loser," scoffed the bully, who went by the name of Brick.

It wasn't far from the truth. He'd been trying to work up the courage to stand up to Brick for months now, and the best he could do was a face full of wood chips.

In addition, he had no friends... None at all. He wasn't sure why, but there was always an excuse. He wasn't popular enough, or smart enough, or cool enough. He wasn't into sports, so he was an especially tempting target for the more athletic students.

It was all so frustrating. No matter what he did, he was always the one left out in the cold.

All that went through his mind as Brick picked him up by his shirt collar and slugged him in the face, sending CV sprawling into the grass.

"But you do have one good use... You make a GREAT punching bag." Brick moved to kick CV in the stomach, when a voice cried out.

"STOP IT!" Brick stopped in mid kick as a girl got between him and the downed CV.

CV, for his part, couldn't believe it. He recognized her. Her name was Michaela Taylor, and she was the most popular girl in the school. Smart, beautiful, loved by everyone in the school.

"That's enough, Brick. Turn around and walk away, or I'll report you to the Principal."

Brick glared at her, then turned away. "Fine. Have it your way." He moved on, no doubt searching for someone else to victimize.

Michaela turned and knelt down to help CV up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." CV blushed. "Thanks." He got to his feet, embarrassed and flustered. No one ever talked to him, much less cared about his welfare.

"No problem... Aaron, right?"

He nodded. He was surprised that she even knew his name. "How did you..."

"There's some unkind graffiti about you in the girl's bathroom."

"...Oh..."

"Relax. I don't believe what they say. You know how kids are. Always cruel to anyone they don't like."

"I just wish I knew why they didn't like me. I've never done anything to them."

"I dunno," she admitted. "Maybe it's because you're always there, in the background. You don't stand out, so they don't think much about what they say or do to you."

"But not you?"

"Oh please. I have too much class to behave like a neanderthal."

CV smirked at that. "True... It must be nice, being the one person everyone respects."

"It has it's perks," she admitted. "But there's always a downside to anything... It's hard to know who my real friends are, and who's just a hanger on."

"I wouldn't know," said CV. "But true friends stick together. That's what I've always been told."

* * *

The bond between the two grew over the next few months, and she helped him come out of his introverted shell, even as he became one of the few people she considered to be a true friend.

They were an unlikely pair... The popular girl and the least popular boy. But for a while, it worked.

But only for a while.

It all ended one day in the form of a letter in his locker. It was in Michaela's handwriting, and what it said was worse than any punch Brick could have delivered.

She was moving out of the country with her parents and had no chance to say goodbye in person. She thanked him for his friendship, but where she was going, staying in touch would be almost impossible.

She wished him to have a good life.

Just like that, he was alone again in the world. Friendless and adrift.

Silently, he remembered what she'd told him, about how he blended into the background. That day, he decided to stop blending.

It didn't exactly work out... Not until the day the invitation came in the mail.

* * *

Present day...

CV idly wondered now if the friendship between them wasn't borne of pity. He didn't dwell on it, as he would never know. Instead, he focused on dancing with Ashes.

The friendships at the Academy may have had a shaky beginning, but they were real and strong now, and he treasured them deeply.

"Are you thinking about something?" asked Firestar.

"The distant past," he said as they moved to the beat. "And the future."

* * *

"You... dance well," said Ikke, hesitantly.

"You don't dance," said Allis. "How would you know?" She was relaxed now. The hard part was over with.

"Back home, I was always a part of royal balls. They were stuffy affairs. I hated them."

"Is this... stuffy?"

"No," admitted Ikke. "No, it isn't." For the first time in ages, he felt at peace with himself.

True, he had a long struggle ahead of him, but at least for this night, he was not alone.

Allis, for her part, felt almost lightheaded. He knew she existed. He treated her like a person. He didn't outright reject her and actually took the time to be with her... It felt wonderful.

She looked towards the crowd, and saw Hikari was occupied. She'd have to thank her later.

* * *

Hikari, meanwhile, was having the time of her life.

"You're a pretty good dancer for a terrorist."

"And you, my dear, are quite lovely for a girl that occasionally fights the Hulk's uglier cousin." V spun her around quickly, keeping in step with the current song.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," said Hikari. She grinned. It was the night of the spirits. A time to relax one's inhibitions and let loose. She fully intended to have a solid go at it.

* * *

"So, what's your big plan?" asked McMike.

"Oh, no big plan," said Jimbo. "Ramesus told me that every year, something goes wrong at the costume ball... I just feel like being the cause." He grinned.

"You DO realize that he told you that specifically so you WOULD cause trouble, right?" McMike was astonished by Jimbo's stupidity.

"...What's your point?"

"Oh never mind. Just have your fun already."

"With pleasure," said Jimbo, heading towards the buffet. He paused, seeing Spider-Rock lying by the punch bowl. "What're YOU looking at?"

McMike and Mikey exchanged glances.

"You wanna tell him it's just a rock?"

"Nope. You?"

"Not a chance."

They watched as Jimbo picked up a platter of miniature cream pies. Casually, he picked one up, studied it, and then flung it across the room, where it smacked one of the Brewer sisters in the back of the head. He didn't know which one it was... Boil, Toil, or Trouble. He didn't much care either. They were Poison's new groupies, joining Evil just because they got excited by magic.

But best of all, they loved mischief.

For a moment, the music stopped...

"FOOD FIGHT!" yelled Jimbo, enjoying what was about to erupt.

"He's dead," said Boil.

"Three times over," said Toil.

"And I still haven't seen Poison..." whined Trouble, as she picked pudding out of her hair.

"We'll find him later," said the other two as the moved towards the buffet. They weren't alone, as about half the partygoers were getting into it quickly. Finger sandwiches, plastic cups of punch, cookies and cakes... Anything was fair game as it began flying around the room.

CV and Firestar hit the deck, barely dodging a flung pie. CV could see Jay and Madame Masque getting to over as well.

"Well, this is a perfect mess," muttered CV.

"Looks like," said Firestar.

"Listen... I've... been meaning to tell you this for a while. Ever since we first met, I can't help but believe that you're special... I mean..."

"I know what you mean," said Firestar. "I feel the same way about you."

"...You... you do? You know who I am?"

"Of course. The duel spirits told me what you'd be going as."

"Would have helped to know that going in..." sighed CV.

Firestar snickered. "Sorry... I guess it's easier to be open with people when you hide your face."

"I guess so."

"Well," she said. "Maybe it's time we tried talking without them."

They both moved to remove their disguises. Both the scarf and mask fell away... But the result wasn't what either expected.

"NAT?!"

"CV?!"

"You're not Ashes/Jay! But I thought... But you... And them? He/She is SO out of your league..."

Both stopped talking in stereo, taking a moment to absorb what had just happened.

"I smell setup." muttered CV.

"Same here," said Nat. "Ashes was the one to suggest switching costumes... She even had wigs ready."

"This explains why Jay asked what my costume was..." CV glanced over towards Jay to see him and a now unmasked Ashes snickering over their little trick. They highfived each other.

"I can't believe that worked." Jay was rather pleased with the results of his plan. CV and Nat had cemented their friendship a few weeks back... And he figured they'd be good for each other. Nat needed to loosen up, and SOMEONE had to rein in CV once in a while. And this way, he'd had Ashes all to himself.

All in all, not a shabby night's work.

* * *

Ikke and Allis were under a table as the food flew, but they didn't really notice the chaos around them.

They were too busy staring into each others' eyes.

* * *

The second the fight began, Hikari and V wisely ducked out of the party and down the hall.

"Oh, they are SO busted," she muttered.

"No doubt. That little stunt will bring the entire school down on their heads."

"And your's, probably... Poison."

Slowly, V removed his mask to reveal Poison's features. "What gave me away?"

"Nothing. I remembered what the dork said about you when I dueled him. It seemed kinda obvious."

"And yet you agreed to dance with me. Why?"

"I dunno," admitted Hikari. "Maybe it's because we have a ceasefire tonight. Maybe I wanted to learn more about what your team has planned."

She smirked. "Or maybe I just wanted to see the magic you could accomplish off the stage."

She turned and walked away, leaving Poison elated and dumbstruck.

"Wow... Now THAT'S magic."

* * *

The food was flying less frequently now, as the ammo was running out. The entire room was a disaster area. As CV and Nat got off the floor, they could see that few students had gone untouched.

Ramesus was one of the few.

"Isn't it amazing what one can do to a peaceful gathering with just a few well placed words?" he asked smugly.

"I dunno. Seems childish to me," said CV. "Now, if it were me, I'd've gone for something a bit more... creative." He looked at his watch. "Oh dear. It's getting late. We should go."

"Go?" asked Nat. "It's not even nine."

Something in his eyes conveyed a message to her.

"Oh, right. We have that project due tomorrow. We should go now." She motioned with her head for Jay and Ashes to join them. Jay, knowing what to expect, nudged Ashes towards the exit.

Ramesus was confused. Normally, he would have expected the Warrior to at least TRY to force him to make amends. How singularly odd.

CV pocketed Spider-Rock and noticed Ikke and Allis. "Ikke, we could use your help with this project of our's..."

Ikke pulled his gaze from Allis's, remembering CV's earlier words. A bit too quickly, he helped Allis to her feet and headed for the exit. Strong Man and Magyk, both trying without luck to clear the chocolate pudding from their costumes, saw the exodus of Good and it's allies and made tracks.

Ramesus noticed this as well.

"What HAVE you done, Warrior?"

No sooner was CV out the door that a large black form rose up from under the stage. Clad only in black bodypaint and a speedo, Big Andy grinned.

"OJAMA BLACK IS HERE TO PARTY!"

"...Well played, Warrior. Well played."

That was when he heard the door lock.

"Is it hot in here?" asked Big Andy as he reached for his speedo.

* * *

Outside the room, CV heard the screams.

"You're bad," said Ashes.

"Sick's more like it." muttered Nat. "That... That's just WRONG."

"Thanks. Mokuba was a big help."

"Well, that explains why he wasn't in there," muttered a hobo that CV now realized was Drift. "NO ONE deserves that."

Ikke and Allis started to walk away, but paused.

"Thanks," he whispered before moving on. CV grinned.

Once Ikke and Allis were gone, CV turned to Jay and Ashes. "Now about that little bait and switch stunt..."

"That will have to wait," said the familiar voice of Mouse as she stepped into view. "I'm afraid you and I have unfinished business."

CV could tell that, as usual, Mouse was dead serious.

"If this is about the psychological trauma going on in the party room..."

"...I don't even WANT to know what you've done. No... I believe I owe you a duel. I've come to pay that debt."

"A rematch?"

"No. This time, I duel for real." Mouse's eyes burned with a duelist's fire.

CV's grin got even bigger. "I was beginning to think the day would never come..."

* * *

Industrial Illusions Inc...

"Mr. Pegasus?" Maximilian J. Pegasus was doing what he loved most. Painting. He was currently hard at work designing an Elemental Hero, and the look had to be just right. Having his receptionist wire him was unusual, especially when he was getting ready to go home for the night.

"Yes, Rochelle? What is it?"

"You have some visitors, Sir."

"Tell them to make an appointment. I'm in the middle of a delicate project."

"Sir? I think you'll want to see them."

Pegasus sighed. Good help was so hard to find these days. "Very well, send them in."

He returned to his work, even as the door opened.

"I see your artistic skills have improved," said a welcome voice.

Standing in the doorway was Yugi Mutou, no longer wearing the Millennium Puzzle, but otherwise unchanged.

"Yugi Boy! You've come to pay me a visit! To what do I owe the honor?"

"The fate of the world, Pegasus... And you may be the only one that can help me stop it..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Mouse's Honor! The Exodia Rematch!


	21. Mouse's Honor! The Exodia Rematch!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: LazyMan, to insure CyberV would be in the good duelists, rigged CV's duel with Mouse, who reluctantly went along with the plan. In the end, the deception was discovered, and CV told Mouse that one day they'd duel for real. During the Halloween Ball, Mouse decided that the time had come to do just that. Meanwhile, Jay and Ashes set up CV and Nat to be together at the ball, and Yugi paid an unexpected visit to Pegasus...

* * *

"So, it's finally time you and I faced off for real, huh?" asked CyberV.

"Yes," said Mouse. "It was a mistake to allow you an easy victory that day, and I aim to correct that oversight now."

"I'm glad to hear it. I've been waiting for this day to come ever since that fiasco... But in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion." It was quite true. He was still dressed as the Shadow, albeit without the fedora or scarf, which were lost somewhere inside the locked ballroom.

"I am aware... Which is why we duel at dawn... In the same place we first met."

"The initiation duel." CV smirked. "Sounds perfect. Dawn it is."

"Just be ready." Mouse turned on her heel and walked away without another word.

"Well, at least the duel won't last long, right?" asked Ashes. "I mean, with your new deck, you should be able to break through her defenses easily."

"I'm not using my new deck," said CV. "We're doing over our original duel. That means my Rocket Warrior deck against her Exodia."

"That's nuts," pointed out Jay. "She knows that deck's life point manipulation strategy. She'll be ready for it and tear it apart."

"I know," said CV. "But it's something I have to do. It's a matter of honor. I have to duel as I would have that day... If she hadn't thrown the duel."

Nat nodded. "I think I understand. Good luck."

"Thanks," said CV. "I'll need it. Because I've got one night to figure out what the heck I'm gonna do..."

Try as he might, CV couldn't help but imagine the specter of Exodia hanging over his head...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 21: Mouse's Honor! The Exodia Rematch!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

As she walked towards her dormroom, Mouse practically ITCHED with anticipation. Finally, she would regain the honor that was lost that fateful day.

* * *

Several Months ago...

"Mouse, the time has come." Mouse was surprised. She'd never seen LazyMan so grim before.

"You mean that you've found the Warrior?"

He nodded, gravely. "The Scepter's finally chosen the one to wield it... And that's what worries me."

"I don't understand. If the defender has been found..."

"He's weak," said LazyMan. "Untrained. Decidedly underwhelming. I doubt he'd last five minutes against anyone on the team, much less a protracted fight against the forces of darkness."

"So you expect him to fail the initiation duel and get picked up by Ramesus."

"Unfortunately, yes... And we cannot allow that to happen. Weak or not, this 'CyberV' is the chosen one, and to allow him to be on the opposing team is unacceptable. Because of this... YOU will be the one to duel him for his initiation."

"Why me?"

"Because I trust you to do whatever is necessary to save the world from Evil."

There was a pregnant pause.

"You want me to throw the duel?"

"There's no other choice. We can't risk him losing because of his lack of ability."

"But if I purposely lose this match... No, I can't do it. It's wrong."

"You have to. The others... They're good, but they're not as loyal as you. You're the only one I can put my faith in to put the team ahead of yourself completely.

Mouse clenched her fists.

"Blast it... This isn't fair..."

"I know..." LazyMan looked away. "And I'm sorry... If there was another way, I'd take it. I promise that no one will ever know the truth. They'll just believe you had a bad hand. Your honor will remain intact."

Mouse hesitated. Slowly, she forced herself to relax. "...All right... But we never speak of this again."

"Agreed. It does here with us."

* * *

"Except it didn't..." muttered Mouse as her mind drifted back to the duel.

* * *

The Initiation Duel...

"What's wrong? You're gonna win." She had resigned herself to her self-imposed fate. She would not fight back.

CyberV glared at her, and at LazyMan. His rage was palpable.

"I've won nothing. This entire duel's a farce. I hope you're happy, Mouse. AND I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, LAZYMAN!" he yelled out loud. "I WANTED TO WIN IN A FAIR FIGHT, AND YOU'VE ONLY BROUGHT ME SHAME FOR MY FIRST WIN! I DESERVED BETTER THAN THIS, AND SO DID SHE! How DARE you force another duelist to degrade themself for your agenda!"

Mouse inwardly cringed as she heard these words... Her dishonor was known to the student body now. She was tainted by betrayal... Her own... of her own principles.

At that moment, she wasn't sure whom she despised more... CyberV for discovering the deception, or herself for taking part in it.

* * *

Mouse growled. Ever since that day, seeing the Warrior was a constant reminder of that humiliation... The worst part was how utterly infuriating he was... He could be such a child, but at other times... At other times, she could see why he was the chosen one.

* * *

The Mall Incident...

The bullet in her leg spread white hot agony through her body. She couldn't defend herself... She'd never felt so helpless in her life. There was nothing she could do as Blaze prepared to execute Allis... Which was when the one person in the world she couldn't stand decided to come to their rescue.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" CyberV sprang from his hiding place and, before anyone knew what was happening, he performed a perfect palm thrust, knocking the gun away and sending it clattering down into a corner. He followed with a sweeping kick that knocked Blaze off his feet and to the ground. As he stood, surrounded by goons, the Wdjat glowed on his forehead.

"Punk," said Blaze, "You just made a BIG mistake."

Undisturbed by the goons all around him, CV kept his gaze on Blaze. "Wrong. This ends NOW. You've terrorized my friends, hurt innocent people, and disgraced the art of dueling. I'm here to take you down, once and for all."

He struck a battle pose.

"I am the Warrior of the Balance! CYBERV... FOR VICTORY!" It would have seemed silly, but the look in CV's eyes told Blaze that he was dead serious.

"GET HIM!" Blaze stepped back as several punks came at CV. Big mistake. As one swung a chain at him, he kicked the club out of the hands of a second and blocked the chain. Pulling hard, he got the goon off balance, and swung the guy into his friends. A spin kick took care of the club swinger now weaponless.

"Woah... He's got GAME." Hikari was amazed. She'd no idea that CV actually had moves.

Mouse was impressed. CV wasn't as good as she was, but he'd obviously been at it for a while. No specific style, but, she assumed, shamelessly cribbed from the countless hours he'd spent watching Japanese television.

It didn't take long for a shadow game to erupt... She'd been certain that he would lose. He was, after all, a weak duelist... But he went on to surprise everyone.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300

"They're all weak! I can crush all of them!" Blaze was feeling better. "Not that I need to. They'll all vanish at the end of your turn!"

"WRONG! COMBAT VEHICLES... COMBINE!" The five machines began shifting components. "Meet the V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon!" The massive robot was ready for action.

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800

"VICTORY STRIKE!" VWXYZ brought it's claws together down low, then rose them up to it's sides, taking them apart and forming an energy V. It them spun it's arms around, crossing them and encircling that V, before lashing out with both arms, creating a massive energy blast that struck Blaze head on, sending the gangleader flying into a wall. The mecha and monsters posed triumphantly before fading away.

* * *

She hated that he'd saved her life that day. She prided herself on her ability to fend herself from anything... to take down whatever stood between her and her goals. To be seen lying helpless on a dirty floor, unable to do anything but watch as someone who was supposed to be weaker defended her... Her humiliation knew new depths.

Her father would be so disappointed in her if he knew...

* * *

Years ago...

"EXODIA... OBLITERATE!" Mouse didn't know how her father had obtained a tape of the famous first duel between Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba, and she didn't care. She just watched with rapt awe as Yugi used one of the most legendary monsters in the game of Duel Monsters to deal Kaiba his first ever defeat.

"Wow... Exodia's... amazing!"

"That he is," agreed her father, dressed in his traditional gi. As a martial arts instructor, he kept a busy schedule, filled with classes. He did it largely for the kids who wouldn't be able to protect themselves from bullies without the help. "But what's more impressive is how that Yugi kid dueled with honor. Right from the start, it was obvious he was going to go places."

"You respect him, don't you?"

"I respect anyone that lives by an honorable code. Kaiba didn't, and look what it earned him."

Mouse nodded, watching as she reran the tape, and Kaiba got blasted by Exodia. She'd had her own run-ins with dishonorable people. She was shyer than most girls, and got picked on by the boys for being a girl, and by the girls for not being as pretty or well off as they were. They'd taken to calling her Mouse, and the name had stuck. Then they'd taken to roughing her up for kicks.

When she'd come home with a black eye and bruises, her father had immediately taken it upon himself to train her in the martial arts, so she'd never be a victim again. She was just starting, but had already graduated to a yellow belt, and she had no intention of slowing down. She would turn their nickname for her on it's ear and make it her own.

"So... Why are you showing me this tape?"

"It's simple, honey," said her father. "I know how hard it is for you... You don't have any friends, the kids pick on you... Even with my training, you're going to struggle to find your voice and your place... So I came up with a way to help you get past your shyness." He stepped away from the table behind him to reveal a Duel Disk with five cards in the monster slots... The five pieces of the Forbidden One. Those five cards, which she knew were insanely rare, must have cost him a small fortune.

"By learning the game and challenging other kids, you'll grow in confidence, and then you'll have their respect without having to resort to force to defend yourself. They call you Mouse, but I know you have a lion's heart."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged her father. "I'll make you proud, Dad..."

Present day...

She clenched her fist, wiping the tears from her eyes as she shuffled her deck. "I'll make you proud."

* * *

Present day:

Industrial Illusions Inc.

"And that's the story," said Yugi as he finished relating the strange tale to Pegasus.

"The Warrior of the Balance, you say? I believe I've heard some of this story before." Pegasus seemed to search his memory. "Ah yes, now I remember. My wife Fatima spoke of a legend similar to that. It's said that her people will one day be freed from tyranny by the Warrior of Balance. However, I wasn't able to find this Warrior myself. But it seems Joey Boy did it for me."

"Don't call me that," said Joey, remembering some of the things Pegasus had put them through all those years ago.

"My apologies, but with our shared history, you'd think you'd be able to find a little humor in all of it."

"There's nothing funny about our past," said Tea. "You've done some sick things."

"No kidding..." muttered Tristan. "I still say coming here was a mistake. We don't need his help."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Tristan." said Yugi. "Without my deck, there's nothing I can do to help fight this Ramesus, save gather allies to confront the coming darkness. Pegasus has long since redeemed himself for the actions of the past, and has earned, if not our respect, our trust."

"Well said," responded Pegasus, pleased. "I would think that the rest of you would be grateful after I so generously helped you against Anubis... Ah, but that is neither here nor there. So, Yugi Boy, tell me more of this garishly named 'CyberV'. Such an unusual nom-de-guerre. His parents must have wanted him to get beaten up on the playground."

"His name isn't what is important," said Yugi. "He's a relatively untrained duelist, still learning the ropes and strategies of the game. Thus far, he's been fortunate. In his few encounters against the Evil Duelists and others of their ilk, he has managed to survive, but as long as he is separated from this Scepter of the Balance, he cannot attain his true power."

"And so you come to me, hoping I might have some unique cards hidden away, waiting for the right moment to use them, am I right?"

"You usually do," said Yugi, remembering monsters like Thousand Eyes Restrict, the Toons, and Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon.

"True, true... So, tell me of the boy's style of dueling. That would be the most helpful of all."

"From what I remember hearing from Ishizu," said Tea, "He's built two of his decks around Joey's Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But I think Hikari said he recently build a third..."

"Yeah," said Tristan. "Some kinda Power Rangers deal with the XYZ Dragon Cannon. I'll bet Kaiba'd be embarrassed if he saw that deck in action." He snickered, thinking of how Kaiba would react to some of his strongest monsters being used in such a cartoonish manner.

Pegasus smirked. "At least it sounds like he enjoys them, unlike Kaiba Boy. What else is there?"

"His Rocket Warrior deck relies heavily on the manipulation of life points over power. His V to Z deck focuses on bringing out his machines quickly and fusing them. His Red-Eyes deck focuses mostly on brute strength."

Pegasus nodded. "Not much else you CAN do with a Red-Eyes deck..." He thought for a moment. "But I do believe I can be of assistance." He got up and motioned for the gang to follow him. "Please, walk this way."

"Can we skip the funny voice?" muttered Joey as Yugi and the others moved to comply.

* * *

As the sun rose over the Arcane Academy, word spread about the rematch. The students rushed to finish breakfast before running to get a good seat at the Good Duelists' duel arena.

As LazyMan took his seat, he noticed Mokuba a bit further up in the stands.

"Surprised to see you here," he said.

"I thought I should watch... You know, make sure it's on the up and up this time."

LazyMan sweatdropped. "You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"Not really."

LazyMan sighed.

* * *

Hikari yawned, rubbing her eyes as she found a seat. She saw that the others were already in their usual spots.

"Hey. What's the commotion?"

"The rematch we've been waiting for," said Ashes. "You mean you didn't know?"

"No... I just followed the crowd."

Jay and Nat sweatdropped.

"Well, you're just in time," said Jay. "Because here they come!"

Slowly, Mouse and CV entered the arena, Duel Disks fully charged.

"You're kidding. He actually agreed to duel her again?"

"Yes," said Nat. "And this time, it's for real."

Hikari grinned. "This ought to be GOOD."

* * *

CV glanced at the crowd. "Looks like we've got a big audience. Let's be sure to give them a good show."

"Just draw your cards," said Mouse. "I have a promise to keep."

"And so do I." Both duelists activated their disks. "IT'S DUELIN' TIME!"

CyberV: 8000

Mouse: 8000

"If you don't mind, I'll start things off," said CV, drawing a card. "And I'm sure you'll remember it! WAVE-MOTION CANNON!" A green energy blaster appeared. "Now, for each standby phase this is on the field, it gains 1000 attack points, and when I remove it, those points are deducted from your life points as effect damage."

Mouse glared at the Cannon, remembering it from their last duel. She recalled how he'd only activating it after begging her for a real duel had failed.

It was a symbol of her failure that day... If he'd wanted to get her angry... He'd succeeded.

"And now I'll summon Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode!" The Witch appeared, kneeling.

Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200

"I'll also throw in a spell card I've been saving for just such an occasion as this... Reasoning!" He held it up as it glowed. "Here's how it works. You call out a monster level. I then pick up cards and discard them to the graveyard until I reach a monster. If it's any level except the one you call out, it gets summoned to the field. But if it's the same level, I have to send it to the Graveyard."

Mouse nodded. "Fine. Since you love Rocket Warrior so much, I'll say four stars.."

"So be it." CV began picking up cards, stopping after four. He placed the cards into the graveyard. "Oooohhh... Tough luck. It's Enraged Muka Muka, a five star monster!" The insect appeared on the field.

'Oh no! That's one of his strongest monsters!'

"And Enraged Muka Muka will get a point bonus of 400 for every card in my hand."

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600 +1200/1200 2400/1800

"That ends my turn."

Mouse glared and drew. "I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards!" She did. 'Good. I now have two pieces of Exodia in my hand! Now, I just need to put some pressure on him to keep him off balance!'

"I summon Drillago!" A drill covered machine appeared. "And I'll equip him with Black Pendant, which increases his attack by 500!"

Drillago: 1600/1100 +500/0 2100/1100

"He's still not strong enough to destroy my Muka Muka," said CV.

"Who said I was going for him? On the contrary, I'm glad he's there, because when there's a monster on your side of the field with 1600 or more attack points, Drillago can attack you directly!"

"...uh oh..."

"DRILLAGO, ATTACK WITH SPIRAL BLADE SPEAR!" Drillago leapt over CV's monsters and struck him in the chest, staggering the future Warrior.

CyberV: 5900

Mouse: 8000

"Ouch..." Jay winced. "That has to hurt."

"Be careful..." muttered Nat with more emotion than she normally would.

Ashes watched her carefully. 'Is she... Is she harboring feelings for CV?'

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared.

"Fine," said CV, drawing. "First, my Cannon gains 1000 attack points."

Wave Motion Cannon: 1000

"Next, I'll sacrifice my Witch for a new monster, one I've been saving for just the right duel! Come on out Patrician of Darkness!" Witch faded away as a batwinged zombie appeared on the field in attack mode.

Patrician of Darkness: 2000/1400

"That activates Witch's special ability. Now I can add a monster to my hand with 1500 or fewer defense points, and my Gilford the Lightning suits me just fine!" His deck ejected Gilford, which CV snatched up.

"Now it's time to get rid of Drillago! Enraged Muka Muka, destroy it with Enraged Insect Blast!" The insect Monster lashed out with lasers from it's eyes, but Mouse didn't even blink.

"I play my trap card! INTERDIMENSIONAL MATTER TRANSPORTER!" Black Pendant shattered as Drillago faded away, the eye beams missing it completely. "This trap removes my monster form play until the end of the turn. Sorry. No dodging direct attacks for you."

"Fine," said CV. "I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on the field.

Enraged Muka Muka: 2400/1800- 400/400 2000/1400

'Wait... Why didn't he attack me with the Patrician? Is he intentionally throwing this match?'

CV smirked, seeing the look in her eyes. 'All going according to plan...'

"I thought you were coming at me with everything you've got! Why not attack me!"

"Because with your deck type, the life points don't matter. Now make your move."

Drillago reappeared.

Drillago: 1600/1100

"You'll regret that! I play Graceful Charity!" She held up the card. "Now I can draw three cards as long as I discard two from my hand!"

She did, choosing Reload and Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter, and liked what she saw.

'Good. The third piece. Two more and I can end this farce of a duel! I'll teach him not to take me seriously!'

"I play Different Dimension Capsule!" A strange metallic coffin appeared, and a card from near the bottom of her deck ejected right into it. It faded into the ground. "In two standby phases, the card I just removed from play goes into my hand."

'Good,' thought CV.

"NOW ATTACK, DRILLAGO! GO STRAIGHT FOR HIS LIFE POINTS! SHOW HIM WHAT ATTACKING IN A DUEL IS ALL ABOUT!" Drillago leapt to attack, but paused in midair.

CV chuckled. "Right now, I bet you're wondering why I didn't attack you with the Patrician of Darkness. The truth is, I didn't want you scrutinizing him too closely. If you had, you would have discovered his special ability."

Mouse's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"I was counting on you remembering our last duel, how you held back intentionally so I would win. I thought that would blind you to really getting a chance to think about my move. You see, the Patrician has a very unique ability, one that makes him a lot more useful than most monsters."

"What's that?"

"He decides where your attacks go." Drillago turned towards Enraged Muka Muka. "And with my trap card revealed..." Jar of Greed appeared from it's facedown position. "My Muka Muka gets even stronger, because now I get to draw one new card!" CV did so quickly.

Enraged Muka Muka: 2000/1400 +400/400 2400/1800

"DRILLAGO, STOP!" She cried, but it was too late. Drillago lashed out at Enraged Muka Muka. It's drill shattered on it's exoskeleton, and Enraged Muka Muka retaliated, slagging the creature with it's eye beams.

CyberV: 5900

Mouse: 7200

Despite herself, Mouse was impressed. She'd been so blinded by the lack of a physical attack that she hadn't considered a psychological one. Maybe the dork wasn't as bad as she thought.

"I end my turn." There wasn't much else she could do in her current situation, except hope her life points would hold for the turn.

"My move!" CV drew. "And I play my own Graceful Charity!" He drew three cards and discarded Rain of Mercy and Hero Kid.

"Naturally, my Cannon powers up again..."

Wave-Motion Cannon: 2000

"But don't worry about Muka Muka getting tougher... I'm playing Monster Reborn!" The card appeared on the field. "And I'm doing it to summon another new monster, my Hero Kid!" A teenage boy in battle armor appeared.

Hero Kid: 300/600

"And thanks to his special ability, I can summon up two more from my deck!" His cards glowed as the remaining Hero Kids appeared.

Hero Kids 2 and 3: 300/600

"And now for those direct attacks you were yelling for earlier... GO GET HER!"

The Hero Kids let loose with energy beams from their armors, even as Enraged Muka Muka let loose with eye blasts and Patrician opened his arms to release a flock of bats on Mouse.

CyberV: 5900

Mouse: 1500

Mouse fell to one knee, winded and shocked.

'When did he get this good?!'

Rising to her feet, she stared at him.

"Go on. Finish it. Remove that Cannon and you win."

"...Nah." CV brushed the notion off. "I only played it to make you mad. Using it to beat you would leave a bad taste in my mouth, considering how things went last time."

Mouse clenched her fists.

"You... little..."

"Upset, I see. Must frustrate you that hitting me right now would make you lose the duel... Ah well..." He shrugged. "One card facedown. Your turn." A card appeared on the field.

Mouse drew. 'The fourth piece! If I can survive the next round, I'll win the match! And I know just what he's going to do, too..."

"I play one monster facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on the field.

'I knew it,' thought CV. 'She's got to have a handful of Exodia cards by now. She's stalling until the Capsule returns with the final piece. This ought to be good...'

"Okay," said CV. "I sacrifice my three Hero Kids to summon Gilford the Lightning!"

Wave Motion Cannon: 3000

Gilford appeared, swinging his sword.

Gilford the Lightning: 2800/1400

"And because of his special ability, by sacrificing THREE monsters, your monster is automatically destroyed!"

"Which is what I wanted," said Mouse. As lightning struck her card, it revealed itself as Neko Mane King.

Neko Mane King: 0/0

"When my Neko Mane King is destroyed by an effect, your turn automatically ends."

CV nodded. "Good move."

"Yes, I know," she said. She drew. "And now this duel is over." The Different Dimension Capsule reappeared. "As soon as I add this card to my hand, I win."

"Not exactly, said CV, even as Mouse's fingers brushed the card within the Capsule. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! LIGHTFORCE SWORD!"

Even as Mouse picked up the head of Exodia, a blade struck her hand, nailing one card and pinning it to the ground. The left leg of Exodia appeared, skewered.

"No... You... What have you done?!"

"Lightforce Sword randomly removes one card in your hand from play for two turns. You see, I knew you were gathering the Exodia pieces... It was all a matter of waiting for the right moment to spring my trap. I could have done it at any time, but I wanted to make sure that I'd hit an Exodia piece. Your conservative playing told me the time was at hand."

Mouse growled. "Fine. I can last two turns! I PLAY SCAPEGOAT!" Four goat tokens appeared. "And even if you summon a monster, I'll still be safe for another turn, thanks to your declaration that you wouldn't use your Wave-Motion Cannon!"

"If you say so..." said CV, shrugging.

He drew. "Oh, Mouse... Things don't look good for you. This is the final turn." He showed her what he'd just drawn. "I play Card Destruction."

"It's over," said Mokuba. "That'll make them discard their entire hands and draw new ones. She's gone from five Exodia pieces to none just like that!"

"Mouse..." LazyMan whispered, feeling for her.

Reluctantly, Mouse fed her four Exodia pieces into the graveyard, even as CV cleared his own hand.

"You'll regret that." she promised.

"Not today, I won't," he said. "I play the magic card Dark Hole!" A back hole appeared on the field, and all the monsters and Scapegoats shattered.

"My last defense!"

"Is gone," said CV. "And I just need the right monster to end this duel." He held up a monster card. "ROCKET WARRIOR!"

Rocket Warrior burst from the card.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME! I was getting bored waiting to get played!"

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"Finish this duel with ROCKET SLASH!" Rocket Warrior nodded.

"All over it, buddy!" He blasted forward and swiped with his blade, hitting Mouse head on.

CyberV: 5900

Mouse: 0

Mouse fell to her hands and knees, wiped out. Rocket Warrior and the Cannon faded away.

"Good game," said CV. "It was nice to finally face you for real."

She glared at him. "You played me from the minute this duel began. You knew how I'd react, and how I'd play."

"Yeah," said CV a bit too casually. "More or less. Drillago was a surprise, though."

She smiled weakly. "Well, at least I have that."

"And your honor." He held out a hand to help her up. She took it, and quickly turned it into a headlock, letting her noogie him mercilessly.

"ACK!"

"But this is for that Cannon!" she said. He waved his arms frantically as the others sweatdropped.

"He is SUCH a dork..." muttered Hikari.

"I'm not so sure..." muttered Nat softly.

"You like him. You really like him!" Ashes said, teasing Nat.

Nat blushed and sweatdropped. "I DO NOT!"

"Oh, you SO like him. Nat and CV, sitting in a tree..."

"CUT THAT OUT!" Nat started chasing after Ashes, who bolted.

"Girls. Go fig..." Jay shrugged.

"OWOWOW! A LITTLE HELP HERE?!" CV thrashed, trying to get free.

* * *

"This is my special card vault," said Pegasus as he lead Yugi and his friends into a massive underground chamber. "This is where I keep any card I deem too powerful for general usage."

"Woah..." Joey said it all right there. Cards were everywhere, every rarity, every type. They were looking at a priceless collection, filled with cards most suspected were unique. If they only knew...

"Ah, these are what you require." Pegasus picked up a small bundle. Hesitating for a moment, he moved to collect three more cards from a pedestal to his right. "Give these to the Warrior. If he's the one destined to save the world this time, these cards will be of great use to him."

"Thank you," said Yugi. "I'll see to it that he gets them."

"Good. And one more thing." Pegasus flicked his wrist, and another card appeared. "This is for your darling daughter, Joseph." He handed the card to Joey. "From what I hear, she's a great talent, and I always want to encourage great talent."

"Uhhh... Thanks..." Joey was a bit thrown back by this.

"I don't get it," said Tea. "Why are you being so helpful?"

"Because there's no profit in the end of the world," said Pegasus. "And because I'm counting on this Warrior to save my Wife's people. But I warn you, if he isn't up to the task..."

"If he isn't," said Yugi. "I step in."

* * *

LazyMan watched as Mouse left the arena, defeated, but honor satisfied... She began walking past him, emotions mixed.

"You did great out there," he said. "Top notch."

"I guess," she said. "And I'm convinced. You were right. He may be a bit of a clown, but he's the right Duelist for the job."

"I guess we both made a mistake back then."

"Yes... I guess so..." Watching from a distance, Ikke snorted, just loud enough to be heard.

"You have something to say?" asked LazyMan.

"Yes. Hurry up and kiss already. You two beating around the bush is driving us all crazy." He turned and walked away, leaving the leadership of Good to blush and wonder what to do now.

"He is such a jerk..." muttered LazyMan.

"But..." she said. "Occasionally very wise..." Mouse kissed LazyMan on the cheek and walked away.

All in all, not a bad way to start the day.

* * *

Back in the Halloween Ball, McMike finally kicked the door open.

"We're outta here."

"Later, freak job..." waved Mikey to a hogtied Big Andy.

"MMMPH!" BA was upset. They'd ruined his costume by wrapping him up in a tablecloth. Ojamas didn't wear togas!

"Yeah, whatever... I need to go burn my hands for a while."

Ramesus scowled. "I think the Warrior's gotten a bit cocky. He'll have to be chastised for this humiliation."

The Evil Duelists left, leaving Jimbo alone with the wrapped up BA. He chuckled to himself, pulling out a small pendant from under his shirt. It glowed, and he saw the reflection of the Egyptian God of Death, Anubis, within it.

"And then... WE will rule this entire world..."

Jimbo laughed... In a voice momentarily not his own...

Next time: Greekman's Solemn Vow: Power Will be Mine!


	22. Greekman's Personal Vow!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: It was revealed that Greekman, Ramesus' second in command, was once leader of the Evil Duelists before losing the title in a duel. Upon gaining Shadow Power from the Scepter of the Balance, Ramesus promised the Evil Duelists would soon rule the school. However, things have thus far not gone as planned...

* * *

"Disgraceful." Greekman shook his head as he finished hearing the story of what CyberV had pulled on the Evil Duelists while he and Dark Shroud had fortuitously missed out.

Partying with the enemy when they should be kneeling. Pathetic. Ludicrous. The Warrior had made a MOCKERY of them all and was getting away with it!

"This never would have happened if I was still in command," he said. "If it were up to me, the Warrior would have long since been banished to the Shadow Realm, to suffer for all eternity in the worst ways imaginable. But no..."

Ramesus, sitting behind his desk, listened halfheartedly. It wasn't the first lecture on leading Evil he had received from his predecessor, but it was by far the most grating.

"Are you quite finished? I have work to do."

"Another party? Or perhaps a second field trip to the Monster World so he can humiliate you again?"

Ramesus met Greekman's challenging gage and held it.

"I don't like your tone, old friend. I have said it before and I will say it again: The Warrior, for all his successes, is no closer to stopping me than he was when this began. He has held up more than I would have anticipated, yes..."

"He foiled your plan to get Hikari Wheeler corrupted, he stopped you from destroying his duel spirits, he played a major role in making this team a laughing stock these last few weeks... THEY DO NOT FEAR US! INSTEAD OF BOWING AT OUR FEET, THEY LAUGH IN OUR FACES!"

The vehemence spilled from Greekman in torrents. In truth, he was absolutely disgusted with how things were going. And he was tired of holding his tongue.

"You said he was weak and pathetic, but he grows in skill by the day! Already he has gathered an impressive win record and the confidence that knowledge and experience bring! It is only a matter of time until he begins using these new skills against us directly, and all you do is claim to plan for his downfall! The time has come for actions, not schemes!"

"You question my leadership?"

"That and more! I know you stole the Scepter originally to protect him! I think a part if you is still doing so, and if that is the case, you are nothing more than a traitor to your own followers."

Ramesus didn't waver, but his anger was rising quickly. "You tread on thin ice, Greekman. You waver on the cusp of treason."

"Waver? WAVER? I've half a mind to take the role of leader away from you once and for all, and crush all in our way."

"Only half? How disappointing." Ramesus stood, Ryu Kokki appearing behind him, chuckling. "But if you want to challenge me for the role of leader, that is your ceremonial right as a member of this team."

"Then I claim the right of Leadership challenge, by way of duel!" Greekman refused to be cowed by this upstart. "And once I defeat you, I shall fulfill all you have promised and failed to deliver..."

"We shall see," said Ramesus with a knowing smirk.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 22: Greekman's Personal Vow: Power Shall Be Mine!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Ramesus

* * *

"Anything?" asked LazyMan, for what seemed to be the millionth time.

"Nothing," said CV, his eyes closed as he focused on the Scepter. Again, they were driving through the town, hoping for some sign... ANY sign... of the Scepter's power. But it seemed that Ramesus had hidden it well... Even though it fed power to the leader of Evil, it somehow managed to hide it's location, and without another Millennium Item, the prospects of finding it were slim and dwindling fast.

"This can't go on," said LazyMan. "He's getting too powerful."

"I know... His shadow games have been nasty... But he's bound to launch an even stronger offensive sooner or later. The only question is why he hasn't already done it."

"That's obvious," said LazyMan. "On some level, he's afraid of you. You haven't really taken a good shot at the Evil Duelists yet, and that makes you an unknown quantity. Add to that the fact you somehow still have some shadow powers..."

"He wants to be as strong as possible before he strikes," realized CV. "He knows in an out and out shadow battle, he'd probably win, but he doesn't know how much damage I could do to him... Too much, and he'd be defeated anyway."

"Probably," admitted Lazyman. "You ARE improving, I'll admit that. Anyone that could string Mouse along the way you did has some serious potential. But potential isn't enough. You're going to have to redouble your training efforts."

"And add to that the usual class load..." CV groaned. "Just wonderful. And people wonder why I pull stunts like Spider-Rock."

"I think you do it to make them think you're insane."

"That and it's perversely amusing," added CV.

"Of course." LazyMan chuckled at that. "You do realize this means you won't have time to go romancing that girlfriend of your's..."

CV blushed. "W-what girlfriend?"

"You know who I'm talking about. Black hair, uses Cyber Dragons, knows a hundred ways to kill a man with a spoon..."

"Nat? But she's not... It was just one school dance, and that was an accident!"

"An accident, eh?" He smirked. "Big things can come of accidents."

CV blushed harder. "Could we drop it? PLEASE?"

"But why? It's good to see you developing REAL relationships. I've read your file... I know how hard you had it before coming here."

"You mean before you forced me on the others like I was a dog that wasn't potty trained?"

LazyMan gave CV a chagrined look. "Okay, I deserved that. I admit I went a little overboard trying to help you adjust quickly..."

"You practically told me I'd doomed the world."

"Well, you haven't... yet..."

CV sighed. "Very reassuring."

"I just mean that you've got a lot of learning left before you face Ramesus. Now... What did you mean by that dance being an accident?"

"I... thought she was... Ashes..." CV blushed again.

"Oh, she's COMPLETELY out of your league."

"That's what I keep hearing..." CV fidgeted in his seat for a moment, uncomfortable with the topic. Back home, he didn't have a single friend, and here, people assumed that he and Nat were an item because of one night?

His memory flashed back to his first duel against her, how she'd run from the dueling arena humiliated... He'd gone after her, and she'd come back in with him smiling.

He slapped his forehead. "So THAT'S where they got that ridiculous idea..."

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing..." CV said it a bit too quickly, sweatdropping. "So, what's this I hear about you and Mouse?"

LazyMan flushed red. "We will not speak of such things."

CV felt a mischievous grin growing on his face. "Oh really? But the two of you are just so cute together..."

"She'd throttle you if she knew you referred to anything she did as cute."

"Oh, right. Never mind..."

"Just focus, will you?" LazyMan sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Ramesus watched as his followers and teammates took seats in Evil's private dueling arena. It was the first time he'd had the opportunity to see the fruits of his and his inner circle's labors to recruit more members for the coming war.

He was pleased. The stands were nearly two thirds full, either of those who joined willingly, or were pressured into it. How they came into his leadership was irrelevant... All that mattered was that they fought for him.

Some of the newer recruits, such as the Brew Sisters, awaited the match with eager anticipation. Unsurprising, as they, along with most of those gathered here, had not seen him duel. Point of fact, he'd barely dueled at all this school year, not since his interrupted match with CyberV.

Greekman took it and his patience as signs of weakness. He would soon learn the error of that assumption.

Behind him he knew, Jimbo, Mikey, Poison and the rest would be just as eager to see the duel commence. They followed loyally, but that did not guarantee that their support would not waver.

Only victory would provide him with total dominance over Evil again, and thus, he would win.

He smirked, remembering his last duel with Greekman a year prior, when he'd wrested leadership from the arrogant fool. This would be no different, and it would provide an abject lesson in the ways of power to all present... and to one errant member in particular.

'Warrior, this duel is a message to you... Listen and take heed, for our conflict has not yet truly begun...'

* * *

Greekman watched as Ramesus entered, standing tense and stern at the other end of the stadium.

"I will reclaim my title as Ruler of Evil... And nothing... NOTHING... will stand in my way."

He couldn't help thinking back, back before it had all gone so horribly wrong...

* * *

The past...

"Don't you get it, little horse? I'M INVINCIBLE!" Fizzy Pony braced himself as the wave of fire struck him, knocking the leader of Good onto his back.

"FIZZY!" Lazyman ran to his side to help his friend up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." He shook the cobwebs free from his mind. The final blast had really rattled him. "Greekman was tougher than I thought he'd be."

"Just as I thought," said Greekman, chuckling as his great beast vanished. "A loser team run by a second rate duelist. You're weak, little horse. Strength and boldness decide the winners at the Arcane Academy. Your time has come. Stand aside, and let my team run things like they always should have."

"Not... a chance," said Pony. "So you won the duel. Big deal. people lose duels every day, but they don't quit, and I won't either. If I'm not the one to beat you, then someone else will."

"I'd love to see them try." Greekman chuckled as he watched the leader of good walk away, as though he still had pride in his heart. Greekman knew better. Failures had no pride. They had only shame.

He glanced behind him and saw two of the newer recruits, Ramesus and Poison, cheering his victory.

'And Evil's future looks bright, thanks to powerful new members like them.'

* * *

"That was impressive," said Ramesus. "I've never seen a monster that strong before."

"And you probably never will again. Very little can stand up to my ultimate weapon, Ramesus. It's invincible, just like me."

"You really think you're invincible?"

"No one has ever defeated me," said Greekman. "I can crush most opponents in a single turn."

Ramesus smirked. "Prove it."

Greekman's eyebrow arched as he looked at Ramesus with amusement. "What was that?"

"It's simple... duel me. Prove you can beat me in a single turn."

Greekman sighed benignly. "I made you my second because of your ambition and power, but don't think I would hold back even against you. You have much to learn before you can defeat me."

"So you're not gonna duel me because I'm not ready... Or because you're worried you might lose?" Ramesus chuckled. "I guess that would make you... Oh, what's the word? Ah yes, a COWARD. Yes, that fits nicely."

Greekman glared balefully at Ramesus. "You challenge my duelist pride?"

"Yeah. I also challenge you for leadership. I think you don't have what it takes to truly run Evil the way it should be run."

Greekman resisted the urge to throttle the upstart right there and then.

"You lack finesse and a careful strategy. You're all brute force and little else. No room for planning, and too much room for mistakes. That's no way to duel, and it's no way to lead."

Greekman felt his blood boil. "You tread on thin ice, Ramesus."

"I know how to skate."

Irritated, Greekman lunged, grabbing Ramesus by his jacket and lifting him off the ground. "Last chance to back away, little man. If you lose, I'll see to it you never duel again."

"And when I win, I'll make you my toady," said Ramesus with that irritatingly smug smirk of his.

"So be it." He tossed Ramesus aside and walked away. "Tomorrow at noon."

"Noon it is." Ramesus couldn't wait.

* * *

Noon came quickly, and Greekman was ready for it. Only a few minutes into the duel, he knew it would be his victory. His great beast had just decimated a large portion of Ramesus life points. One more hit and that would be that.

"WATCH CAREFULLY," said Greekman to his followers. "THIS is what happens to all who dare challenge me! FINISH HIM OFF!"

His monster surged forward, but Ramesus unflinchingly made his move... and in a heartbeat, destroyed Greekman's world.

As his life points hit zero, Greekman was stunned, uncertain how he could have lost. But worst of all, Ramesus was more than eager to claim his prize.

"I RULE EVIL NOW! AND I SHALL LEAD YOU TO GLORY!"

"How... How could I lose?"

"How could you NOT?" asked Ramesus, knowingly. "I'll see you around... Number two."

* * *

Present day...

Greekman growled softly. Today he would avenge that humiliation and crush the upstart that had taken everything away from him. He supposed, in retrospect, that Pony had been right. Pride didn't fade just because a duelist lost... In fact, it often grew stronger.

Today, he would forge that pride into a weapon, and decimate Ramesus utterly. And after him, he would repay Pony's wise lesson by annihilating the team he had once led.

Yes, revenge would be sweet...

He walked to the center arena, where Ramesus was waiting for him.

"Prepare to lose," he said.

"I believe you're being presumptuous," said Ramesus. "But I'll be nice and let you go first anyway."

Both their disks extended to play mode.

"DUEL!"

Ramesus: 8000

Greekman: 8000

"Very well!" said Greekman. "I'll begin with the spell Graceful Charity! It lets me draw three cards, so long as I discard two from my hand to the graveyard." He did so. "Now, I'll play the spell Premature Burial." The card appeared on the field. "It costs me 800 life points, but it allows me to revive the creature I just sent to the graveyard... MY CYBER-STEIN!"

Ramesus: 8000

Greekman: 7200

A strange creature resembling the Creature from Frankenstein appeared.

Cyber-Stein: 700/500

"And now I'll use his special ability... By paying 5000 MORE life points, I can summon my ultimate beast straight from my fusion deck! A creature of power enough to annihilate the Gods themselves! COME FORTH FIVE HEADED DRAGON!"

A massive explosion rocked the entire arena, and as the smoke cleared, a gigantic dragon materialized on the field. It had five heads all right, each representing one of the attributes in the game... Only light was absent from this unstoppable monstrosity.

Five-Headed Dragon: 5000/5000

"My beast cannot be destroyed in battle, save by a light monster... In effect, it is almost invincible."

Ramesus: 8000

Greekman: 2200

"I've seen it before," said Ramesus, unimpressed. "You really haven't learned anything, have you?"

"I've learned plenty... For example, since all that was special summoning, I can now tribute my Cyber-Stein for my Jinzo!"

Cyber-Stein vanished as Jinzo appeared.

Jinzo: 2400/1500

"That will do for now. Next turn, the onslaught begins."

Ramesus chuckled. "Same old Greekman. All brawn and no brains. You think you can annihilate me that quickly? I knew you'd do this, which is why I let you go first. That way, you couldn't attack. And now, it's time for your new lesson in humility to begin... With the Swords of Revealing Light."

Energy blades appeared all around Jinzo and Five-Headed Dragon.

"A coward's move," said Greekman. "You prove my point for me. I cannot attack for three turns, which you will no doubt use to cringe and hide in fear."

"Hardly. It's called STRATEGY. Try using one someday. In any case, I now summon Exiled Force." A group of soldiers appeared

Exiled Force: 1000/1000

"A weak monster for a weak duelist."

"A weak duelist that already defeated you once. Now observe. Exiled Force, annihilate his Jinzo!" The soldiers nodded and charged Jinzo, throwing spears which struck the android, shattering it, even as it's explosion took them out as well.

"WHAT?!" Greekman didn't understand.

"Exiled Force has a special ability. By tributing it from my field, I can destroy one monster on the field. And since I enjoy a challenge, I decided to destroy your Jinzo instead of your dragon." Ramesus chuckled. "And with him gone, I'm free to use trap cards, like the two of these." He set two cards facedown. They appeared in front of him.

"That will do nicely for now."

"You have no monsters to protect you," said Greekman. "Were it not for your Swords, I could do great harm to you now."

"But you can't." Ramesus smirked.

"No, but I can lay one card facedown, and offer something to occupy you as you contemplate your fate at the hands of my dragon." A holographic card appeared on the field, before a second revealed itself... Scapegoat. Four Goats materialized. "These Scapegoats should suffice."

"Very well. I shall have fun with your little mutton balls." He drew and grinned. "I'll play my OWN Graceful Charity!" He drew three cards and discarded two. "And I'll revive a monster I just discarded using Book of Life!" Book of Life appeared.

"Now, not only does my Book bring out my favorite monster, but it also removes your Jinzo from play!"

Greekman bit back a curse as Jinzo ejected from his graveyard. It fluttered into the book, which snapped shut on it.

"And now for my monster... RYU KOKKI, COME FORTH TO DO MY BIDDING!" His duel spirit appeared before the Evil Duelists, as gruesome as ever.

"And very soon, he shall know humility," said the spirit in a voice straight from the grave.

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"I'll also summon the Giant Rat, so my Ryu Kokki doesn't get lonely." The oversized rodent appeared, holding a human skull.

Giant Rat: 1400/1450

"NOW GO! DESTROY TWO OF HIS SCAPEGOATS! VERMIN SWARM AND DEVOURING SOUL!" Ryu Kokki motioned towards a Scapegoat, and it began to rot, becoming nothing but bones before shattering. Giant Rat's skull released a horde of rats, which swarmed and devoured the second Scapegoat.

"Now I'll place my remaining cards facedown and end my turn." Ramesus was most pleased. Most pleased indeed. As his cards appeared facedown, he knew the true battle would soon begin, and end just as quickly.

"My move," said Greekman, unconcerned over his Scapegoats. "I equip my dragon with Megamorph!" Megamorph appeared. "As long as this card is equipped to my dragon, it's attack is doubled! However, if my life points become higher than your's, my monster's attack will be halved."

"Not much chance of that happening..." said Ramesus in a mocking tone.

Five Headed Dragon: 5000/5000 x 2/1 10000/5000

"And now I'll play the spell Fissure." Another card appeared, and the ground opened up under Giant Rat, swallowing the helpless creature. "The weakest monster on the field meets his maker."

"And is sent there by a weak duelist," commented Ramesus. "My move." Ramesus drew. "Ryu Kokki, amuse yourself and destroy another Scapegoat."

"Of course. I always did love goat meat." Again Ryu Kokki gestured, and this time, the hapless goat token looked at Greekman pleadingly as it rotted to bone and shattered.

"My move," said Greekman as he drew. "And now you'll know the feeling of helplessness you tried to hoist onto me... I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Energy swords appeared all around Ryu Kokki.

"Interesting," noted Ramesus. "You must love your goat tokens quite a bit to do this."

Greekman glared at him. "Hardly. They are a tool, nothing more. And at the end of this turn, the swords you used on ME will be gone, leaving me free to annihilate you utterly, while you are helpless to do anything but defend yourself."

Ramesus watched as the swords restraining Five-Headed Dragon faded away.

"I pass."

"You're kidding," said Poison. "There's no way Ryu Kokki can stand up to that thing."

"The boss has totally flipped..." muttered Carly. "That thing'll cook him!"

"This should be amusing," said Jimbo in a tone not quite his own.

"Your funeral," said Greekman. "FIVE-HEADED DRAGON... ANNIHILATION DRAGON STORM!" The five heads of the great Dragon fired a monumental blast that would surely wipe out virtually all of Ramesus' life points.

"REVEAL TRAP CARD!" yelled Ramesus. "ARMORED GLASS!" One of his cards arose, and suddenly the dragon's blast shrunk by half. Greekman watched as his Megamorph shattered.

Five-Headed Dragon: 10000/5000 -5000/0 5000/5000

"You see, I knew you couldn't resist being the dutiful musclehead I defeated last year, so I came prepared. Armored Glass is a trap card that destroys equip cards like, say, Megamorph, weakening your dragon by half."

"It doesn't matter," said Greekman. "Ryu Kokki will still die!"

"Oh, very true," said Ramesus as the blast hit Ryu Kokki. "But he won't be dying alone." He tapped a stud on his disk, and a second trap revealed itself. "Meet DNA Surgery, a nasty little trap that changes a monster's type."

"Pointless," said Greekman. "A weak card."

"On it's own, yes, but you see, it's not alone. It's combined with Ryu Kokki's special ability. When Ryu Kokki fights a spellcaster or warrior, the opposing monster is automatically destroyed at the end of the turn." Ramesus grinned. "DNA SURGERY, MAKE ALL THE MONSTERS WARRIORS!"

A strange change swept both Ryu Kokki and Five-Headed Dragon, transforming them into men with monstrous armor. Ryu Kokki erupted... And the former dragon found itself being sucked into oblivion, screaming and rotting as it did so. It's skeletal hand begged for help as it faded away entirely.

Ramesus: 5600

Greekman: 2200

"MY DRAGON! YOU'VE DESTROYED MY DRAGON!"

"And next I'll destroy you," said Ramesus.

"You can't," said Greekman. "My Swords are still in play."

"I don't NEED to attack you to win." Ramesus drew a card. "I reveal Call of the Haunted!" His trap revealed. "This lets me revive one monster in my graveyard. My Ryu Kokki."

Ryu Kokki reappeared. "It's good to be back."

Ryu-Kokki: 2400/2000

"Now observe, Greekman, as you lose." Ramesus' remaining facedown revealed itself.

"Feel the power of Ring of Destruction." A metal ring appeared around Ryu Kokki's neck. "Ring of Destruction will destroy Ryu Kokki, true, but it will also deal 2400 damage to both our life points. I can survive it. You? I doubt it."

"Prepare to rot." said Ryu Kokki as the Ring erupted, returning the monster to his spirit form.

Ramesus: 3200

Greekman: 0

All the holograms vanished as Greekman dropped to his knees. Ramesus walked towards him slowly and purposefully.

"You failed again, as you will ALWAYS fail," said Ramesus as he stood over Greekman. "Now pay the price for your foolishness. PENALTY GAME: ROTTING FLESH!" A blood red wdjat appeared on Ramesus forehead. He smirked, knowing that someone else would be getting the message right about now as well.

Greekman screamed in terror.

* * *

Miles away, CyberV screamed as well, before collapsing in his seat, gasping.

"WHAT THE?!" Lazyman pulled over to the side of the road to check on CV. "Are you okay?"

Gasping, CV nodded weakly. "I think... Ramesus just sent me a message."

"A message?"

CV nodded grimly. "He's coming, and sooner than we think."

Lazyman felt a chill run down his spine. In the night sky, the clouds suddenly seemed to mock them...

* * *

Greekman continued to scream as he imagined his flesh melting away into nothingness. With a snap of his fingers, Ramesus dispelled the illusion. Greekman breathed a sigh of relief as he returned to normal.

"Lesson learned." Ramesus turned away from Greekman. "I'll see you in the morning, number two." He walked away without a second glance. Greekman watched as the rest of Evil followed dutifully, leaving him alone to his humiliation.

He felt his rage building more than ever.

"This... isn't over..." he said. "It will never be over, not until you lie broken at my feet... Someday, Ramesus... Someday, POWER SHALL BE MINE!"

No one heard his vow.

Next time: Ashes: Gentle Soul, Strength of a Volcano!


	23. Ashes: Gentle Soul, Strength of Volcanos

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The Arcane Academy is divided between good, evil, and the neutral students caught in the middle. Among the new students in Good this year is Ashes, who has played a vital role in the struggle against Evil thus far. She is accompanied at all times by Raging Flame Sprite, a duel spirit acquired on her first day at the school. She seems to be developing a relationship with fellow Duelist Jay, even as CyberV harbors a secret crush on her.

* * *

"Are you sure you're not going?" asked Jay.

"Yeah," said CyberV. "The Scepter's still somewhere in the city, and Ramesus is staying too... I can't risk him pulling something while I'm away on holiday."

"Oh come on, man. It's been six weeks since you got that little 'message' from Ramesus. Christmas is just around the corner, and you're telling me you're staying because of a sense of duty?"

"That... and I hate my family."

"Ah. I seem to remember you calling your mother a Harpy..."

"Banshee. Harpies are pretty."

Jay sweatdropped. "Oooookay..."

"What about you?"

"Well, my cousins are staying at Duel Academy for the holidays, and my parents agreed to let me be on my own... SoI'mgoingtospendthetimewithAshesBYE!" Jay said it quickly and bolted.

"GET BACK HERE!" yelled CV, sighing. "THAT WAS A DIRTY TRICK YOU PULLED ON HALLOWEEN!" Jay was already gone. CV shrugged.

"Guess this place is gonna be running on a skeleton crew," noted Nat.

"Not going home?"

"Nope. If you're staying to fight the good fight, so am I. Can't have you, Mouse, and Lazyman having all the fun."

"Don't count Ikke?"

"Does anyone?"

"Thanks," said CV, meaning it. "We... never really did talk about Halloween, did we?"

"It was a silly trick, nothing more," said Nat a bit too quickly. "See you 'round." Nat walked away.

"...Right..." said CV, confused.

* * *

"So, you ready to go?" asked Jay.

Ashes seemed lost in thought. She glanced at a photo of a boy about her age. "I guess so..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No... It's just... Nothing. Forget it." She forced herself to smile. "Let's get moving. It's the holiday season, after all..." She shut her suitcase, and Jay grabbed it for her.

As they left the room, for just a second, the air seemed to shimmer around the photo... And follow.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 23: Ashes: Gentle Soul, Strength of a Volcano!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

Ashes deck created by: RighteousVoid

* * *

"Welcome to Roshambo Lake Airport," said a cheerful female voice through the terminal speakers. "Please proceed to luggage claim."

"Long flight," said Jay, stretching. He paused and looked at Ashes. "Are you okay? You've barely said anything for the last six hours."

"Sorry," said Ashes, obviously distracted by something on her mind.

"Something's wrong," said Jay. "I can tell."

"It's... it's personal... I'd rather not talk about it."

"I... see," said Jay, at a loss for words.

The Creator appeared behind Jay, equally confused. "Dear lady, do you know what troubles Lady Ashes?"

"No," said Flame Sprite as she materialized. "She won't tell me either. I'm worried."

"I'm fine," said Ashes, a bit too sharply. "Let's just go already."

"Yes ma'am." said Jay, eye twitching.

None of the quartet noticed the shimmering air, following dutifully behind.

* * *

"You live on the beach?! THIS IS AWESOME!" Jay couldn't believe it. Roshambo Lake was aptly named. The city surrounded a massive lake. It was the only landlocked city around that could claim to have a coastline. Not only that, but they were in the middle of an Indian Summer, so instead of freezing, they could enjoy high 60's for the holidays.

Ashes' home stood on stilts, to protect it from the rising surf. Jay thought it was the coolest place he'd ever seen... next to the Academy, of course.

"WOOHOO!" exclaimed Flame Sprite. "Fun in the sun!"

Ashes didn't respond. She just stared at the water, feeling a chill down her spine she could never shake.

"...Or not..." Flame Sprite flew to Ashes' side, but Ashes seemed to be lost in thought and ignoring her.

"This isn't normal..." muttered Jay.

"Indeed. The fair lady seems deep in introspection, to the exclusion of all else." The Creator wasn't sure what to do.

"ASHLEY! Hugh! Our Ashley's finally home!" Jay and the Spirits looked towards the house to see a middle-aged woman whose fiery red hair easily marked her as Ashes... Ashley's mother.

Ashes looked away from the water, distracted. "Oh. Hi, Mom."

Ashes' mother ran to greet her daughter, pausing when she noticed her daughter's behavior.

"Is something wrong? Ashley, I'm... Oh... Oh, I see. In all the excitement about you coming home, I almost forgot..." She embraced Ashes, and Jay noticed that Ashes was beginning to cry. Whatever was on her mind... It was really bad.

"I'm... okay, Mom." Ashes pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Mom, this is my friend Jay. Jay, this is my Mom."

"I guessed as much. It's nice to meet you." He shook her hand.

"Any friend of my daughter's is welcome here," she said. "But come in, come in! You must be exhausted after your long flight!"

"...Yeah..." said Ashes. "I... guess so."

Carrying the luggage, Jay strained to follow as they went up the stairs.

"We'd help you," said Flame Sprite, "But that whole immaterial thing gets in the way... So good luck!" She and the Creator vanished.

"Gee, thanks." Grunting, Jay began pulling the suitcases up the stairs.

"You're welcome!" said Sprite's disembodied voice.

As he finally reached the top of the stairs, Jay could see Ashes being hugged by an older man, probably her dad. But the mood wasn't festive as one would expect for the holidays. Yes, as he looked around, he saw decorations... But they were almost somber in demeanor.

Leaving them to their reunion, Jay took a longer look around the room. He paused by their mantle. He could see that they still did stockings. He saw one for Hugh, the dad... Sarah, presumably the mother... Ashley... And a fourth one with the name Eric on it.

"Huh..."

'Ashes never mentioned a brother or uncle... I thought she was an only child.'

He searched his memories, and remembered the photograph in her room.

'THAT must be Eric,' he reasoned.

"Nice to meet you, son," said Hugh, breaking Jay from his reverie. Realizing he was just standing there, Jay shook the man's hand.

"Likewise, Sir. So, when is this Eric arriving?"

The entire room seemed to stop dead. Ashes' mother gasped. Her father looked away.

And Ashes trembled for a moment, then bolted out the door towards the beach.

"Ashes, wait!" Jay moved to follow, but Hugh held up a hand.

"Hold on," he said. "I'm sorry. I guess you don't know. Eric... Eric's dead."

It hit Jay like a hammer, as he realized the reason for the melancholy feelings in the household and Ashes' demeanor.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"I figured as much. Ashley doesn't like talking about it."

"What happened?"

"It was just a few years ago. Ashley was playing on the beach with Eric, her older brother... Some street gang decided they wanted to beach for themselves, and... Well, Ashley didn't know better and refused to go.

"They got real mad, and kicked her. Eric... He was real brave, he covered her with his own body as they kept kicking. Our neighbors saw it, called the police... But he died, still protecting her. She hasn't enjoyed the beach since."

"And the creeps that did it?"

"Arrested, in prison... But that doesn't bring him back. Nothing can. Ashley blamed herself... Still does. We've tried helping her. When she discovered Duel Monsters, she seemed to rediscover how to be happy. It brought us hope, seeing her smile again."

"...If it's any consolation, sir, Ashes... Ashley, is pretty brave herself."

"Ashes? That what she calls herself at that school?"

"Yes sir."

"It fits. Eric always said she had a gentle heart, but the strength of a volcano."

'And the heart of a champion,' added Jay mentally as he looked out the door towards the beach and Ashes.

* * *

Walking along the coast, Ashes felt sick.

"Eric..." She fought the tears, but they came anyway. She dropped to her knees, sobbing for her lost brother.

"I heard everything," said Flame Sprite, reappearing by her side. "They told Jay."

"Just perfect..." she said, bitterly. "Now he knows how I was so stupid I got my brother killed!"

She failed to notice the air swirling and shimmering around her. Flame Sprite, however, DID notice.

"ASHES! LOOK OUT!" Ashes' eyes snapped open and she jumped, just as something powerful slammed into the sand where she had been. She turned and saw the shimmering air.

"What in the world?"

"Ashley... It's me..."

Ashes gasped, recognizing the voice, but not the mocking, hateful tone to it.

"No... It can't be..." She froze, unsure what to do. She could only watch as the shimmering air began to flow together... "ERIC!" The shimmering air collapsed into itself, revealing a teenage boy with the same fire red hair as her.

"It's been so long, Sis. Did you miss me?"

Tears welling in her eyes, she moved to hug her miraculously returned brother... But instead, he swatted her away like a fly. Falling to the ground, she looked up and saw only hate in his eyes.

"Eric, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that you're alive... AND I'M DEAD!" His exclamation alone would have been painful, but it seemed to have force behind it too, skidding her back two feet.

"But-"

"But nothing. I died for you, and then you go to that precious Academy and pretend I never existed!"

"It's not like that!"

"The blazes it isn't! You abandoned my memory the first chance you got! Do you have ANY IDEA what I've been through? How lonely it is?"

"I... I didn't want you to be lonely."

"Well I was, and I'm thinking that I'd like some company... My dear Sister."

Her eyes widened.

"What?!"

"That's right, Sis. I want you to join me for all eternity in the void."

"I... I can't. My friends need me. Mom and Dad need me."

"I need you, and I'll have you... One way or another." A duel disk materialized on his arm. "I think you call this a shadow game, right? Well, here's the stakes. You win, you go free. I win, and you keep me company until the end of time."

* * *

"JAY!" yelled the Creator. "Lady Ashes is in mortal peril!" The spirit appeared right before Jay, superimposed over Hugh.

"Come on!" he said, grabbing the man by the arm. "Ashes needs us now!"

"What do you mean?!" demanded Sarah as they reached the door, just in time to see Eric appear.

"ERIC!"

"No way..." muttered Jay. He let go of Hugh and bolted down the stairs to join Ashes.

"ASHES! I'm here!"

"What's this? You replaced me already? That hurts, Sis. It really does."

Jay got within 20 feet of the duel, only to be repelled by some invisible force.

"Ashes, I can't get through!"

"It's... It's okay, Jay. I know what I have to do."

Eric motioned, and a disk appeared on her arm. Ashes reached for her belt holster and removed her deck before placing it into the slot.

"Standard rules apply," said Eric. "And I can't wait to be with you again, dear sister."

"Eric, don't do this."

"It's already done," he said. Both disks extended to play mode. "Now duel!"

Eric: 4000

Ashes: 4000

"I'll start this off," said Eric. "I summon Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness in attack mode!" An armored sea knight appeared, ready for battle.

Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness: 1800/1500

"That doesn't look good." Jay hit the force field, but only succeeded in hurting his hand. "Ow... At least it isn't stronger than 1800 attack points..."

"Oh, but it will be," said Eric. "I activate the field spell Umi!" His field spell slot extended, and he placed the card within. As it snapped shut, the water from the beach flowed forward, covering the field.

"Here's how it works. My water monsters gain 200 attack and defense points as long as Umi's on the field, making them even stronger than they were before!"

Sea Serpent +Umi: 2000/1700

"I'll also place one card facedown." A holocard appeared, just over the water. "That ends my turn, Sis. I gotta tell you, I can't wait to be with you for all eternity."

"Eric... This is wrong! Stop this before someone gets hurt!" Ashes felt herself crying again.

"You're still weak, Sis. I know. I've seen how weak you are. At the mall, when that gang took over... You hid your fear, but I could see it in your eyes. You did nothing to save your friends."

"There wasn't anything she could do!" yelled Flame Sprite. "And besides, it turned out okay!"

"No... He's right." Ashes said it haltingly. "I was afraid... And I'm afraid now... If I lose, I lose my soul. But if I win, I lose my brother again." She seemed to tremble at the very thought.

"I... I can't do this, Eric. Please, don't make me do this."

"Play your card or forfeit the match, Ashley. There's no other choice."

"ASHLEY!" yelled her mother. "GET OUT OF THERE!" She pounded on the invisible wall, helpless to get to her only surviving child.

"Mom..." Clenching her fist, she drew a card. "I'll find a way to get you back, Eric, I promise!" She looked at her hand and nodded. "I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4!" The midsized dragon appeared in the sky above.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4: 1600/100

Immediately, the dragon seemed weaker.

"And now Umi's secondary effect activates, and any fire monster gets 200 points weaker!" Eric grinned. "Sorry, Sis. You're playing on my turf."

"More like your surf," muttered Flame Sprite. "Come on, Ashes. You can do this!"

"Only because I have to," said Ashes. "I play the spell Level Up! It allows me to sacrifice a level monster on the field for the next evolution without destroying a monster or waiting for the end of my turn! So goodbye Level 4... And hello LEVEL SIX!" Horus seemed to grow in size and stature.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon lv6 2300/1600

"So it's bigger. It still gets weaker."

"Wrong!" Ashes stared at her brother, hoping for some sign of the compassionate brother she once knew. "Sorry, bro, but Horus LV6 is immune to spell cards. His attack points stay exactly the same. Now destroy his Sea Serpent with Black Flame Shot Six!" Horus let loose with ebony fire which scorched and incinerated the Sea Serpent.

Eric: 3700

Ashes: 4000

"Now I'll play Graceful Charity. It lets me discard two cards from my hand after drawing three new ones." She discarded Raging Flame Sprite and UFO Turtle.

"HEY!" exclaimed Flame Sprite.

"Sorry, but right now, I need stronger attackers. It's nothing personal, I promise."

"Fine, I'll trust you," said Flame Sprite.

"Now I'll place one card face down and end my turn." A holo card appeared. "And with my turn over, Horus' special ability kicks in. Now that he's destroyed your monster, he levels up again to Level EIGHT!" Horus grew again.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8: 3000/1800

"Well, good, and I know he's immune to spells... so I'll activate my trap card!" Eric's facedown rose up. "Skill Drain. Here's how it works. I pay 1000 life points, and all effects from monsters are cancelled out. So now Umi affects your Dragon."

Horus the Black Flame Dragon + Umi: 2800/1600

Eric: 2700

Ashes 4000

"Umi won't stop me, Eric. You know that."

"It doesn't have to. It just has to keep giving me the edge. Now I'll draw!" He did so. "And I'll summon Ameba in attack mode!" An amorphous blob appeared on the field.

Ameba: 300/350

"Of course, he gets stronger thanks to Umi."

Ameba + Umi: 500/550

"Now here's a fun little trick of timing. With Skill Drain on the field, Horus can't avoid the spell I'm about to play, but by the same token, Ameba can't use it's ability either... So I'll play Creature Swap! This forces us to exchange one monster each, and since we both only have one on the field, we trade!" Both Ameba and Horus faded away and rematerialized on opposite sides of the field.

"And I'll simultaneously play Emergency Provisions, sacrificing my Skill Drain!" As Emergency Provisions appeared, Skill Drain shattered. "Now I gain 1000 life points."

Eric: 3700

Ashes 4000

"And now Ameba's effect actives as well. You see, when control of him switches to my opponent, they take 2000 in effect damage!"

"WHAT?!" Ameba turned towards Ashes and leapt onto her, enveloping her in it's watery body for a moment before flowing away and back to the field.

Eric: 3700

Ashes: 2000

Gasping, Ashes struggled to stay on her feet.

"That... wasn't a hologram."

"No, it wasn't. You see, I have power. Power enough to make the monsters as real as you are. And it's all thanks to the man that helped me come back to you."

"What in the world are you talking about, Eric?"

"Haven't you figured it out, Sis? He figured you would have by now... He found me in the void, gave me strength and showed me how weak you were, how you'd forgotten me! Yes, I owe your friend Ramesus quite a bit!"

"RAMESUS!" Ashes' eyes went wide.

"It can't be!" Jay hit the field, but to no effect.

"Who's this Ramesus?" asked Hugh. "What does he want with my daughter?!"

"He's bad news," said Jay. "A real creep. Thinks he can take over the world using ancient magic."

"And why does he want Ashley?"

"Because our entire team is in his way... And because a good friend of our's counts on her when the chips are down." Jay thought of CyberV, and for a moment regretted the Halloween trick. "Ramesus thinks our friend can stop him, so he wants to undermine her to get at him."

"My daughter won't go down that easily."

"She may not have a choice. Ameba's a very weak monster, and Horus is one of the strongest. If Ameba's destroyed, it's all over."

"Then it's all over!" yelled Eric. "HORUS, DESTROY HER AMEBA WITH EBONY FIRE SHOT EIGHT!" Horus let loose the biggest fireball yet, vaporizing Ameba.

"And that ends it."

"Not quite!" yelled Ashes. As the steam cleared, a new monster was between her and Horus. A small ball of flames, complete with burning wings. It looked remarkably like Winged Kuriboh. "I activate the first special ability of Winged Fireball! By discarding it from my hand, I can reduce my battle damage for this turn to zero!" Winged Fireball cooed and faded away. "Sorry, Eric, but this duel's just begun!

"Fine," he said. "I'll play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!" He drew. "And now I'll play my own Graceful Charity!" He discarded a trap and Amphibian Beast.

"Now I'll play Monster Reborn to revive the monster I just sent to the graveyard! Come out Amphibian Beast!" A large sea monster rose up from the depths.

Amphibian Beast: 2400/2000

"And of course, Umi's still in play."

Beast + Umi: 2600/2000

"That'll do for now."

Ashes breathed a sigh of relief.

'He almost had me with my own monster! I had no idea he was this good!'

'Just hang in there,' said Flame Sprite to her mentally. 'We're together, and we'll beat this trap yet! We can't let Ramesus take your soul or keep controlling your brother. Letting either happen would give him a terrible advantage in the coming battle!'

'I know. But HOW do I save Eric?'

'...I don't know...' admitted the Sprite, sadly.

"Well, bro," said Ashes, refocused on the task at hand. "You're tough, I'll give you that. "But I'm tough too!" She drew. "I summon another Horus LV4, and play a second Level Up!" Horus LV4 appeared, and just as quickly grew to LV6

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6: 2300/1600

"You can't even beat my Amphibian Beast with that dragon," said Eric. "It's all over."

"Not quite," said Ashes. "Remember, I activated Winged Fireball's first effect. I never said anything about the second!"

"What?!"

"I pay 1000 life points to activate Winged Fireball's second ability!"

Eric: 3700

Ashes: 1000

Winged Fireball appeared, and flowed into Horus.

"Now he gives strength to Horus, increasing his attack by 800 points!"

Horus + Winged Fireball: 3100/1600

"Now destroy his Amphibian Beast with Ebony Fire Shot Six!" The mighty Dragon let loose black flames, and Amphibian Beast shattered.

Eric: 3500

Ashes: 1000

"Of course, now Winged Fireball's effect ends, and Horus gets to level up!" Horus grew into another LV8.

Ashes' Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8: 3000/1800

"And I'll use his ability to negate Umi."

Eric's Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 -Umi: 3000/1800

"Finally, one card facedown." A card appeared on the field. "Eric, there's still time to stop this. Ramesus is using you to get at me! He wants to destroy the world! How can you go along with his plan?!"

"Because I died for NOTHING!" His words made Ashes cringe. "You're just as scared a child as you were then! You haven't grown... Not at all."

'But that isn't true...' she realized. She flashed back to the burning warehouse, and to the battle in the Monster World. 'If he sees that I have gotten stronger, it might snap him out of this!'

"I've grown more than you think, Eric. A lot more."

"Prove it." Eric drew. "I summon Takriminos!" Another sea monster appeared, resembling the creature from the Black Lagoon

Takriminos: 1500/1200

"Now I'll have our mutual Horus destroy each other! ATTACK!" Both Dragons roared and flew into battle, meeting in the middle, flames meeting flames... Until both erupted into pixels, demolished.

"And with the Horus gone, Umi reactivates."

Takriminos + Umi: 1700/1400

"Attack her directly!" Takriminos dove into the water, headed towards Ashes.

"Not quite! I activate Call of the Haunted!" Her facedown rose up. "This lets me summon a monster from my graveyard! And I choose my UFO Turtle!" A strange Turtle appeared atop the water.

UFO Turtle +Umi: 1200/1000

Immediately, Takriminos changed directions and leapt from the water, slicing up UFO Turtle instead. It erupted in a massive fireball.

Eric: 3500

Ashes: 500

Ashes winced.

"That was foolish," said Eric. "You should have chosen your Horus Level Six."

"If I had, I couldn't have used UFO Turtle's special ability," said Ashes. "He lets me summon a fire monster form my deck when he's destroyed, so long as it's attack is 1500 or less. And I choose Magmar the Mighty!" A massive fire ogre appeared on the water.

Magmar the Mighty + Umi: 800/800

"I remember that monster!" said Jay, remembering Monster World. "That thing's a lot tougher than it seems."

"He's pathetic. Takriminos will crush him."

"Wrong, Eric. You see, I have nine fire monsters in my graveyard. Six Horus, plus Flame Sprite, UFO Turtle, and Winged Fireball. And for each of them, Magmar gains 400 attack points!"

"No way!"

"Way, Bro."

Magmar the Mighty + Umi + (400x9) 4400/800

Magmar roared in fiery rage.

"It... It can't be..." Eric was stunned. 'When did she get so powerful?'

"Eric, listen to me closely. I was a scared little kid once, but I'm not anymore. Ramesus said he showed you things. How?"

"He just pointed me in the right direction. Told me to think about incidents he mentioned, and I'd see them."

"Then look back at my first day at the Academy!"

Hesitantly, Eric nodded in agreement and closed his eyes, looking back through time. "I see... I see a fire... You're running towards it, trying to save someone and... And..." He opened his eyes. "You have changed. "You almost died to save someone you barely knew." He dropped to his knees.

"He... lied to me..."

"Yes, he did," said Ashes. "And now that you know, you can end this shadow game safely!"

"...I'll try..." Straining, Eric focused on the force field... And it slowly became immaterial. The second it was permeable, Jay ran to Ashes' side.

"Are you okay?"

"No... I'm not." She was furious. "Ramesus is gonna pay for what he's done. But first things first. Eric, what say we finish this duel the way siblings should?"

Eric found within himself the ability to still smile. "Bring it on, Sis."

Ashes drew. "I summon Blazing Hiita in attack mode!" A fiery sorceress appeared.

Blazing Hiita + Umi: 600/1300

"Now Magmar, destroy Takriminos with Magma Club!" Magmar lurched forward and swung his massive weapon, utterly crushing Takriminos.

Eric: 700

Ashes: 500

"And now for my final move," said Ashes. "Reveal trap card! Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai!"

Eric grinned. "Go for it."

"Gladly! I'll sacrifice Hiita to inflict her original attack on you directly! Go, Hiita, with Flaming Sorcery!" Hiita raised her staff and leapt forward, slicing at Eric.

Eric: 0

Ashes: 500

As Hiita landed, the ocean and all the monsters vanished.

"It's over," said Ashes, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I guess it is," said Eric, resigned. "I'll always be alone in the void."

"You don't need to be," said Ashes. "We'll always be with you, me, Mom and Dad."

"She's right, son," said Hugh as he and Sarah got closer to their ghostly child. "You look good, considering."

"You've still got your hair," noted Eric.

"Always the wise guy..." muttered the relieved father.

"So... Are you staying?" asked Sarah.

"I... I can't. Human spirits aren't meant to linger in this world... But knowing that you're all okay... That Ashley's gonna be okay... I think I can accept things now... Move on."

Ashes moved and hugged her brother. "Don't forget me," she said as he began to fade away. "I'll always love you."

"I love you too, Sis. Now... and forever." Before Jay's amazed eyes, Eric faded away into nothing, leaving Ashes hugging empty air. Jay could see she was crying again, but this time, they were tears of joy.

"...Goodbye, Eric..."

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Jay as they sat in the windowsill of Ashes' room.

"No, I'm not sure. I'm not fine," She felt her anger growing. "Ramesus had no right..."

"I know. And he'll pay for it someday. But at least now your brother's at peace."

"I guess some good came out of it after all," she admitted. "You would have liked Eric. You two are a lot alike. You both look out for me."

"And we both always will." Jay placed a hand on her shoulder as they looked up at the stars. For the briefest of instants, Ashes could see her brother smiling at her.

For the moment, she was at peace. It felt very, very good.

* * *

CyberV sat with his back to the wall of his room, tossing Spider-Rock up into the air repeatedly.

"So bored... I hope the others are having a more interesting holiday than I am..."

Next time: LazyMan's Regrets; The Heart Laid Bare


	24. LazyMan's Regrets The Heart Laid Bare!

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Lazyman, the leader of Good, has walked a difficult path, especially in the wake of the theft of the Scepter. Making a choice he later regretted, he fixed the duel between CyberV and Mouse, only for it to be uncovered. Since then, he has worked to locate the Scepter and keep the League of Good running smoothly, but he has recently been confronted with the realization that there's more between him and Mouse than just a professional respect... Meanwhile, most of the students are away on holiday, leaving a skeleton crew behind to hold the fort, allowing Ramesus to take advantage. Using shadow powers, he resurrects the spirit of Ashes' dead brother and uses him in an attempt to banish her soul, but Ashes manages to save herself and her brother.

* * *

"RAMESUS DID WHAT?!" CyberV almost collapsed as he heard what Ashes was telling him on the phone. 

"Oh come on! Lemme hear!" Rocket Warrior tried in vain to listen in, finally giving up in a huff.

"No, stay and enjoy your holiday, both of you," he said finally. "I'll see what I can do here." CV hung up and felt himself growling softly. What Ramesus had pulled on Ashes was absolutely beyond the pale in it's heartlessness.

'He sent me a warning that the dark times were coming. Was this some preemptive strike? And if so, why Ashes? Why not target me directly?'

"Guessing it was bad news," said Rocket Warrior, still miffed.

"Ramesus used her dead brother to try and steal her soul."

"Woah." Rocket Warrior sweatdropped. "He can do that?"

"Apparently he can... I guess it's not that different from that time in the warehouse." He flashed back to his first night at the Academy, how his powers had flared, letting Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes to become solid long enough to get him out.

"Oh, it's different. We only had a few seconds! He gave Dead Boy a body!"

CV nodded. "We have to stop him. He might try for Ashes and Jay again."

"Fine by me." he said. In the background, Red-Eyes appeared, growling in agreement.

"So let's go have a word with Ramesus," said CV as he opened the door to exit the Good Duelists' rec room... Only to stop as he realized there was someone standing in the door.

"Oh, excuse me," said the slightly older man. "...You must be CyberV. I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh?" CV blinked. "And you are...?"

"...You don't know? They call me Fizzy Pony. I used to run this outfit."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger: 

Episode 24: LazyMan's Regrets; The Heart Laid Bare

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

In his office, LazyMan was annoyed. He checked his watch again. CyberV was late, which wasn't like him at all. Usually, they would have already been searching the city for some trace of the Scepter. 

He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting worried. Every day Ramesus possessed the eighth Millennium Item, the world was threatened with even greater danger.

He pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed Drift.

"Drift? Any idea where CyberV is? ...He's where? Okay and..." His eyes went wide. "HE'S WITH WHO?!"

* * *

Lazyman made it to the Good Duelists' lounge in fifteen seconds flat, throwing the door open in a fashion that would have been comedic if it wasn't so panicked. Panting, he could see his immediate predecessor, Fizzy Pony, regaling not just CV and Drift, but Mouse and Ikke as well with tales of the old days. 

"And then LazyMan took the dean's boxer shorts and... Oh, hey, I was wondering when you'd get here. Long time no see."

Regaining some composure, LazyMan pointedly ignored Fizzy Pony. "CyberV, in case you forgot, we have business to attend to."

"Oh relax," said Fizzy Pony. "Looks like you turned into a real stick in the mud since I last saw you. What happened? They stop serving butterscotch pudding in the cafeteria on Tuesdays?"

LazyMan sweatdropped. "Not now. I want to know why the Warrior is late."

"Uh oh..." muttered CV. "He's using the nickname. Must be in a bad mood."

"I thought he was always in a bad mood," noted Drift.

"No, that's Ikke."

"CUT IT OUT!" Both Ikke and Mouse whapped CV on the head.

Fizzy Pony just blinked and sweatdropped. "Is he always like this?"

"Actually, this is a GOOD day..." Drift sighed.

Rubbing his head, CV looked up at LazyMan. "I'm late because we've got a more immediate problem. Ramesus just tried to steal Ashes' soul."

The news hit LazyMan like a punch to the gut. "Is she...?"

"She's fine. She managed to beat the shadow game. He... He sent her own brother's spirit after her. He's crossed the line this time."

"So we just spent the last four hours scouring the campus for him," said Pony. "So far, nothing."

"And the embarrassing stories of my old days?"

"We needed a break, we found the others here... Next thing you know, we're hearing about the noodle incident."

LazyMan's eye twitched. "They can't prove that was me..."

"I'm not hearing outright denial..." said CV in a singsong tone.

"WOULD YOU FOCUS?!" yelled both Mouse and Ikke, causing CV to flop right out of his seat.

"Ouch. Nagging in stereo. Fear it." Drift just chuckled.

"So we need to find Ramesus and make sure he's not gonna do anything else over the holidays," said LazyMan, trying to bring the group in line. "We'll need to search the entire school again, top to bottom. Ikke, you and Drift start in the subbasement and work up. Mouse, you and I will-"

"You will wait and hear what I have to say," said Pony. "I may have been telling them tales of your sordid past, but they've also filled me in on what's been going on here... And I have to say, I'm disappointed. Sorely disappointed indeed. I left you in charge because I thought you had the chops, but instead, on your watch, Evil's taken the Scepter and started using it's powers to steal souls and tip the balance of power."

"And the occasional fixed duel..." said Drift, earning a dirty look from Mouse. He cringed. "I'm just saying it wasn't his finest hour..."

"Bluntly, things are a total mess," said Pony. "And you've gotta answer to me for it."

"Now hold it right there!" LazyMan met his gaze. "I admit things have been going poorly, but there is still time to turn everything around."

"Oh, I agree," said Pony. "But the question is if you'll be the one to lead the team to victory in the coming battle."

"He can't mean..." started Mouse.

"A leadership challenge duel?" gasped Ikke.

"Oh, my achin' tailbone..." muttered CV, rubbing his butt.

"I propose killing two birds with one stone. I challenge your right to continue on as the leader of Good. If you win, you remain. Since I have graduated and thus cannot lead the team, if I win, you pass on leadership to your second in command."

"Me?" asked Ikke, pleased as punch.

"No. Someone who DIDN'T almost get thrown out. for the Big Andy incident."

"Aww..."

"Then who?" asked Mouse.

Drift, Ikke, and CV all looked at Mouse, who blinked.

"Me?"

"...We're doomed..." said CV. "I'm not sure I could survive her leadership..." Visions of noogies danced in his head.

"And how is this killing two birds?" asked Ikke.

"Simple. A duel this important would surely bring that rat Ramesus scurrying from his hiding hole and into the open."

"Giving me the chance to confront him and find out his plans," said CV. "I'm up for that part at least."

"So, you don't think I'd be a good leader, eh?" asked Mouse, a cold look in her eyes.

The blood drained from CV's face. "...no?"

She patted him on the head. "We'll discuss this later."

"...eep..."

"I won't lose," said LazyMan. "But if this duel will help protect my teammates, fine. I'll do it."

Pony nodded. "Good. Spread the word. We duel in an hour."

* * *

The arena seemed eerily empty until one remembered that most of the students were on holiday. As it was, the only spectators were Mouse, Drift, and Ikke. CyberV stood at the very top of the arena seats, looking for any trace of Ramesus. 

He couldn't have cared less about the duel. He just wanted to protect his friends.

"He'd better be careful," said Drift. "Pony's brutal when he duels. If he gets his strategy into place..."

"If he does, I doubt our 'illustrious leader' would be able to come back," said Ikke. "But considering the lack of respect I receive, perhaps I should root for Pony instead."

"You lack respect because you behave like a jerk," said Mouse.

"And what about you? Do the others show you respect because they fear you, or because you are merely LazyMan's potential mate?"

Mouse blushed at that. "You little..."

"Shhh! They're coming!" Drift turned his attention to the duel ring, where both LazyMan and Fizzy Pony were walking out towards each other.

"So, we meet on the field of battle after all this time." Pony smirked. "Just like old times."

"I'm only doing this for the good of the team. So bring it on so we can get this over with." LazyMan extended his disk to play mode.

"On that, we agree." Pony did the same.

LazyMan: 8000

Fizzy Pony: 8000

"GAME ON!"

"I'll go first, since I'm the one whose job is on the line!" Lazy drew. "Okay, here we go! I'll start by playing Graceful Charity!" An angelic woman appeared, letting it rain on Lazy's deck. "Now I get to draw three cards, and discard two to the graveyard!" He quickly did so.

"Now I'll place one facedown monster on the field, and a little something for later behind it." Two face downs appeared on the field. "That'll do for now."

'I need to play it safe. If he manages to use his regular strategy, beating him is going to be nearly impossible. There's only one chance, and it's somewhere inside my deck!'

"Very well," said Pony. "My turn." He drew. "I suppose I'll start as you did, with the spell Graceful Charity!" Again, the woman appeared, and again it rained, but this time, it was Pony who benefitted from her powers.

"Now you're going to be in a world of hurt," said Pony. "I play the spell Monster Reborn to resurrect a monster I just sent to the graveyard! ARISE SPELL CANCELLER!" Monster Reborn appeared, and slowly the creature arose straight from Pony's graveyard. The chosen monster growled softly, and Pony smirked.

Spell Canceller: 1800/1600

"Now, Spell Canceller's a tough guy, true, but it's his special ability that truly makes him one of the best cards in the game. As long as he's on the field, NEITHER of us can use spell cards!"

It was what Lazy had expected. Already half of Pony's strategy was in place. One thing was certain... The guy hadn't lost his touch.

"Now I'll place one card facedown." A facedown appeared. "And since Spell Canceller was special summoned, I still get a normal summon! I choose the Cat's Ear Tribe!" Three small kittens in armor appeared, purring softly.

Cat's Ear Tribe: 200/100

"That will do for now."

"Why on earth would he play such a pathetic monster?" asked Ikke.

"It's simple," said Drift. "Cat's Ear Tribe has a very powerful ability. Whatever monster attacks it has it's attack reduced to 200... Meaning any attack against that monster will result in the loss of both."

"I see," said Ikke. "A weak monster that can destroy virtually anything. Impressive."

"Not as impressive as his facedown, I'll bet," said Mouse.

"So, Lazy... You're already behind, far as monsters goes... And I have a feeling you haven't really accomplished anything during your soon to be ended tenure as team leader, am I right?"

LazyMan growled softly.

"Now now... It's not my fault you're living up to your nickname. You and that deck of your's more than earned that moniker a long time ago. Why, I'll bet you haven't even made a move on that lovely lady in the stands yet, am I right?"

"Low blow..." muttered Drift.

"But true," added Ikke.

LazyMan felt his face flush red. "My relationship with Mouse is purely professional."

"Yeah, sure. That's why you two embraced after her rematch with the Warrior."

"YOU TOLD HIM!?" exclaimed both Drift and Mouse, turning towards Ikke.

"It may have come up..." he said sheepishly.

"It's okay. It's not like it was ever a secret," said Pony. "It was plain as day from the moment you two met..."

* * *

The Past... 

"AND NOW I SUMMON THE ALMIGHTY EXODIA!" Mouse's hair blew like streamers in a strong wind as her greatest creature appeared on the field. Behind her, a pentagram appeared, and from within, the creature known as the Forbidden One came forth.

Exodia the Forbidden One: Infinite

"Oh no..." Her opponent, a duelist specializing in slow burn, could only watch as the legendary monster loomed over him.

"This duel is over! EXODIA... OBLITERATE!" Exodia thrust his hand forward, and a massive energy blast struck her opponent, clearing his field and decimating his life points.

Watching from the stands, LazyMan gasped.

"Woah... Who IS she?"

"She's called Mouse," said Pony. "Obviously, a talented Exodia duelist. The Scepter said she'd be a most valuable addition to our team."

"I can see why..." Pony smirked as he saw the look in Lazy's eyes. He'd seen that look so many times.

"So, ready to meet our newest teammate?"

Lazy grinned. "Oh, definitely."

* * *

"Welcome to the Good Duelists, Mouse," said Pony. "You passed your initiation with flying colors." 

"You expected less?" The tone in her voice suggested the hint of a challenge.

"Oh, definitely not. I just thought you should hear it officially before you get swarmed at the welcome party."

"I see. And who is..."

There was a pause, before Pony elbowed LazyMan. "OH! I'm Lazy! Errr... I mean, they CALL me LazyMan."

"Charmed." Her tone said she was anything but. "I shall see you later then, once I've finished unpacking." She walked right past both of them. Once she was out of sight, Pony sighed.

"Smooth. Very smooth."

LazyMan wanted to sink into the floor.

* * *

The Present: 

LazyMan: 8000

Fizzy Pony: 8000

"Enough of this!" said Lazy. "Let's get on with the duel! I activate my trap card!"

"No, you don't." Pony sighed, sadly. "ACTIVATE ROYAL DECREE!" Pony's card rose up, and behind him, a castle appeared. "Sorry, Lazy, but as long as this trap remains active on the field, no other trap can be activated."

LazyMan clenched his fist. 'He's locked down both spells and traps. His classic strategy, and I let my anger blunder me right into it! Now all I can fight with are monsters and their effects! Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but most of my cards rely on flip effects, meaning they need two turns to activate... and I doubt he'll give me that chance. Blast him, there has to be a way to defeat this plan!'

"So, you making a move or not?"

LazyMan looked at his hand and saw a possibility. But it was risky. If the card he place down got destroyed before he was ready for it, he'd lose for sure.

"One monster facedown, and that's all."

A card appeared.

"With your spells and traps gone, there's nothing else you CAN do, is there?"

LazyMan glared at him but said nothing except "Go."

Pony drew. "Okay, Spell Canceller, destroy his first facedown monster with Spell Swat!" Spell Canceller bounded forward and rammed into the facedown card, shattering it and revealing Giant Rat, which just as quickly faded away.

"Thanks. You just activated the ability of my Giant Rat! Now I get to summon an Earth monster with 1500 or fewer attack points from my deck! And I choose my Golem Sentry!" A massive statue creature appeared.

Golem Sentry: 800/1800

"Hmph. I should have destroyed your OTHER facedown monster then," noted Pony.

"Yes, you should have." Lazy agreed completely. "Because here's where I start bringing on the pain!"

* * *

The Past... 

"She's so weird..." muttered one duelist, glancing towards Mouse, who was disdainfully glancing at the buffet, seeing, much to her chagrin, cheese everywhere.

"I hate cheese..." she muttered.

Turning away from the buffet, she could see people glancing at her. Between her looks and her chosen moniker, she knew some would be confused.

She also didn't much care. She wasn't looking to make friends, after all. As far as she was concerned, every person here was just another challenger.

Well, except the borderline nebbish.

Said nebbish, LazyMan, watched the party from a corner.

"She's such a witch..." muttered one guy that had, a few minutes before, attempted to be friendly with her.

"I think she broke my tailbone..." whined one that had tried getting fresh, only to get judo flipped to the hardwood.

Seeing her reactions to people being pleasant just made him more nervous. But it also worried him, just a little. What of the Scepter was wrong? What if she WASN'T meant to be one of their members?

Nervous or not, he had to act for the good of the team. Gathering what courage he had, he walked over to her.

"We need to talk. Now."

'Before I chicken out...' he added mentally.

She looked him over, appraising his seriousness. "Fine, but make it quick."

"Not here. Outside."

"Whatever..." They moved out of the room and into the hall, where the din of the party would drown out their words. "Make it fast. You've got ten seconds."

He took a deep breath. "You need to control yourself. We want to be your friends, and you're treating us like enemies."

"That's fascinating. Your ten seconds are up." She turned to leave, and he grabbed her by the wrist.

"We're not done."

In a flash, she turned and slugged him in the face. He felt his nose bleeding, wondered if she'd loosened a few teeth, but did his best to not flinch. He stood his ground.

"If you're finished trying to hurt everyone around you, I'd like to remind you that we are a TEAM, and that means supporting one another on and OFF the matches. Now, you may not care one bit if I win or lose duels, but I sure as blazes care about you and every one else in that room. If you want to be standoffish, fine. But NOT to your teammates, or you might as well resign right here and now."

He let go of her wrist and walked away. "Think about it."

Mouse watched him go, impressed. "Maybe he's not such a nebbish after all."

Once out of her sight, he leaned against the wall.

"...I think I need a medic..."

* * *

The Present... 

"You? Bring the pain? This I gotta see..." Pony chuckled. "Do your worst."

"I'm not doing my worst... I'm bringing out my best!" Lazy drew. "I'll start by removing Giant Rat from my graveyard in order to summon the mighty Gigantes!" Giant Rat got ejected from his Disk, and Gigantes, a massively powerful earth monster, appeared on the field.

Gigantes: 1900/1300

Lazy 5. Pony 4. Lazy's turn.

"That's not very mighty..." said Pony.

"Mighty enough! I now switch Great Spirit to attack mode!" Great Spirit reared up. "And that activates his special ability. You see, when he's flipped, he can change the attack and defense of one Earth monster on the field... like my Golem Sentry!"

Golem Sentry: 1800/800

"And now to show you that I'm every bit the leader you thought I could be. GO, GOLEM SENTRY! Attack Spell Canceller with Stone Smash!"

Even as the golem thrust a fist forward, Spell Canceller countered, meeting it halfway... Where both shattered.

"YES! Now he can use spells again!" Drift pumped a fist into the air.

"Yes, but so can Pony," said Mouse. "This battle isn't over yet."

"And now to get rid of your kittens! Gigantes, attack his Tribe!" Nodding in agreement, Gigantes lunged for the Cat's Ear Tribe, which reared up, hissed, and swiped at it when it got into range. Gigantes fell apart, but landed on the poor kittens.

"You shouldn't have wasted Gigantes like that," said Pony. "You could have attacked me directly if you'd used Great Spirit."

"Yeah, but if I had, I couldn't have used Gigantes' special ability. You see, when he's destroyed in battle... all spells and traps are automatically destroyed!" As he said it, his facedown trap shattered... and the Royal Decree castle behind Pony fell apart, shattering into rubble before fading away in the dust.

"Clever," admitted Pony. "Is that all?"

"Hardly. Now that your field lock's toast, it's time to bring out my deck's headliner! I use Monster Reborn!" Monster Reborn shone brightly as it appeared. "And I bring back a card discarded by Graceful Charity... Criosphinx!" A strange Egyptian creature emerged.

"But he's not sticking around. Instead, I sacrifice him for my almighty EXXOD, MASTER OF THE GUARD!" Criosphinx faded away, only to be replaced by a creature not unlike Exodia. Crouching down, it was obviously in defense mode.

Exxod, Master of the Guard: 0/4000

"Woah..." Mouse took an instant liking to the creature.

"Now I'll place two cards facedown, switch Great Spirit back to defense mode, and end my turn." Great Spirit knelt down as two cards appeared behind it.

"MUCH better. Not many people can find a way out of my double lock. Knew you still had some duelist fire in you."

"You know it. Now draw your card so we can get on with the match."

"Gladly!" Pony drew. "I play Premature Burial!" The spell card rose up. "By spending 800 life points, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard! My all powerful Emes the Infinity!" A gigantic creature, equal in size to Exxod, rose up from the ashes.

Emes the Infinity: 2500/2000

Lazyman: 8000

Fizzy Pony: 7200

"Now I place one monster facedown." A card appeared next to Emes. "And now, Emes, destroy his Great Spirit with Infinite Dismissal!" Emes' eyes glowed as it lashed out, swatting Great Spirit and shattering it.

Emes the Infinity+700/0 : 3200/2000

"Oh, did I mention that he gets stronger with every monster he destroys?"

"Won't help you," said LazyMan.

"I think it already has. Your plan was obvious. Next turn, you were planning on flipping Spirit again to switch the attack and defense of Exxod, making him a 4000 point powerhouse... But now, with Spirit gone, you're out of luck.

"Luck, maybe. Skill? NEVER!" Lazy drew. "I play Pot of Greed!" The pop appeared, and shattered just as quickly. "Now I get two more cards! And I follow up with another spell called Reckless Greed."

"Reckless Greed?"

"Let me explain. It's just like Pot of Greed, since it lets me draw two more cards." He did so, and a band appeared around his deck. "The down side is that I have to skip my next two draw phases. But the thing is... I don't need them."

"Bold claim from someone who's about to lose."

"The only one losing here is YOU! This duel's over, and here's the reason why!" He had a warrior's glint in his eyes. "First, I switch Exxod to attack mode!" Exxod stood up to his full height, almost scraping the ceiling of the arena.

"Big deal. He has no attack points!"

"But he will. I now summon Stone Statue of the Azteks!" Another golem monster appeared.

Stone Statue of the Azteks: 300/2000

"Reveal facedown!" He tapped his disk, and a card rose up. "I play Shield and Sword! This card is the beginning of the end for you, Pony! Your horse power's about to run out!"

"Good move," said Ikke. "That's an incredibly powerful spell."

"I should have guessed," said Pony. "Now all the monsters on the field change attack and defense. It also took away Emes' power boost."

Emes 2000/2500

Exxod: 4000/0

Statue: 2000/300

"And here's where it ends! Statue, destroy his facedown monster with Aztek Stomp!" Stone Statue stomped down the facedown, which revealed Magician of Faith before shattering.

"And now I get my Monster Reborn back!" Pony took the card form his graveyard.

"You won't get to use it," said Lazy. "I play a spell called Double Attack!" Double Attack appeared. "Now a monster on my field gets to attack twice! Go, Exxod, destroy Emes with Obliteration Punch!" Exxod punched forward, striking Emes and shattering the massive beast.

Lazyman: 8000

Fizzy Pony: 5200

"And now again! Attack directly!" Exxod did so, his fist knocking Pony for a loop.

Lazy: 8000

Pony: 1200

"Looks... like you... miscalculated... I'm not out of life points!"

"I don't need to attack again. Not after I reveal my facedown! Ring of Destruction!" His facedown rose up, and a ring appeared around Exxod's neck.

"Now, Exxod gets destroyed, and we both take 4000 damage to our life points! I can take it... You CAN'T!"

"NO!" The Ring erupted, and Exxod shattered.

LazyMan: 4000

Fizzy Pony: 0

As his life points hit zero, and everything faded away, Pony smirked. "Good moves. I see you picked up a few new ones since I last saw you."

"So have you."

"Does this mean we DON'T have to call you boss?" asked Drift to Mouse.

In response, she smacked him upside the head.

"OW!"

"I guess this means you're still in charge," said Pony.

"It does."

"Fine. Just fix this mess, or I'll be back."

"I will. Count on it."

"Oh, one more thing? Quit beating around the bush with her already. It's so painfully obvious I'm surprised you don't just share a dorm room." He turned and walked away. "Later!" He mock saluted as he left the arena.

Drift, Ikke, and Mouse left their seats to join LazyMan on the floor.

"Nice duel," said Drift. "I'm impressed."

"Exxod is a monster worthy of a cautious leader. I approve," said Ikke.

"Thanks. But, Mouse, about what he said..."

"He's right," said Mouse. "Like Ikke said before, it's time we stopped pretending like there isn't something between us. We're just wasting time we might not have if Ramesus runs unchecked. When we first met... I thought you just another student, someone who wouldn't even be a challenge to me. But you did what no one else would... You stood up to me and told me how you felt. I respected that. You have a quiet strength, and a strong heart... and..."

"...You don't need to say anything else." said LazyMan. "Honestly, I'm tired of ignoring it too." He took her by the hand. "Just... promise not to dislocate my jaw again."

"No promises..."

"...uh oh..."

* * *

"Sickening, isn't it?" CyberV turned from his post to see Ramesus walking up behind him. 

"I was wondering when you'd show," said CV. "You missed the duel."

"I saw what I needed to see. An obvious lure, but tempting all the same."

"You had no reason to attack Ashes like that. If you want a fight, take me on and leave my friends alone."

"But I'm not ready to fight you. Not when I can watch you squirm first. You must see, Warrior, the brilliance of my plan. They're far away, where you can't help them... and I can launch attacks any time I choose... and will, if you don't remain on campus, and unable to hunt for the Scepter."

CV's eyes narrowed. 'I must be worrying him with my drives through town if we went to such lengths just to keep me occupied.'

"And what guarantee do I have that you won't launch one anyway?"

"None. In fact, I already launched the second attack several hours ago... By now, I'm sure it's all but over in the fair town of Domino..."

"...Hikari..."

* * *

Hours ago... 

Hikari stretched as she left the terminal. The long flight home was brutal, but worth it. Nothing beat a Christmas at home with the ones she loved.

"Domino... Hikari Wheeler's back in town, so watch out!" She sprinted off, eager to get her bags and meet her dad.

As she left, another former passenger looked up, and chuckled.

"Soon, Hikari... Soon you'll be mine. Mine forever..."

Dark Shroud grinned. It would be a holiday to remember...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Sinister Stalker! Beware the Dark Shroud, Hikari!


	25. Beware the Dark Shroud, Hikari!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ashes was attacked by the spirit of her dead brother while on vacation, but it was only the beginning of a sinister plot by Ramesus to keep CyberV from looking for the Scepter of the Balance. Unknown to anyone, Ramesus sent Dark Shroud to follow Hikari to Domino...

* * *

CyberV ran for Mokuba's office as fast as he possibly could, remembering what Ramesus had just told him.

Even as they had hunted for him... Even as Ashes had fought for her very soul against her own brother... Hikari had been in mortal jeopardy.

He reached Mokuba's office and breathed a sigh of relief that he was in.

"MOKUBA!" He paused, panting, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey... What's wrong?!" Mokuba got up to check on CV, who waved him off.

"Got to get a hold of Hikari... She's not answering her cell phone."

"That's not exactly an emergency, you know..."

"Ramesus sent someone after her. He's trying to force her into a shadow game if he hasn't already."

"Oh man... I'll try calling Yugi's grandpa." He speed dialed the number. "Mr Moto, it's Mokuba and... Yes, I see..." There was a pause, and Mokuba hung up.

"Well?"

"...We're too late."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 25: Sinister Stalker! Beware the Dark Shroud, Hikari!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Several hours ago...

"HIKARI!" Despite his own self image as a macho tough guy, Joey couldn't help the tears of joy as he scooped up his adopted daughter and gave her the biggest hug any father could give.

"Nice to see you too, Dad... But... I can't... breathe..."

Joey sweatdropped and let go. Hikari immediately elbowed him in the side. "You are SOOOO gullible."

"I shoulda known..." he said, rubbing the spot she'd nailed. "I see that fancy school hasn't softened you up any."

"Me? Soft? Pfft. Never happen." Hikari waved off the notion. "So... Any luck?"

"Gettin' Yugi's deck back? Not yet, but we're workin' on it, so don't you worry. We promised we'd be there to help when the time comes, and you KNOW I always keep my word."

"It's weird though... You'd think Kaiba wouldn't hesitate to give Uncle Yugi back his deck... If only for the challenge."

"Yeah, well when he heard who we wanted ta help..."

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Simple. He saw that pal of your's on the news playing Power Rangers with the XYZ Dragon Cannon, and Kaiba flipped his lid!"

Hikari got a mental image of Kaiba screaming at the television and tossing it out of his office and sighed. "He is SUCH a twit..."

"Kaiba or your friend?"

"Choose."

Making a mental note to smack CV upside the head upon her return, she watched as her father grabbed her bags. He strained for a moment.

"What the heck is in these things? ROCKS?!"

"Yes."

"GAH!" Joey flopped. Hikari giggled. Her dad made it WAY too easy.

* * *

Watching from the far side of the terminal, Dark Shroud chuckled to himself. If this buffoon was her great protector, Hikari was already as good as his.

He remembered the first time he'd seen her in action, during the initiation duel. She'd been magnificent. True, he knew his fellow teammate Poison harbored feelings for her, but he was foolish enough to think of love.

Dark Shroud merely wanted to possess this vision of perfection, and by the end of the day, he believed that he would.

* * *

"And that's how Ikke lost a duel to a rock." Hikari finished her story in-between Joey's snickering.

"Geez, and ta think when I met your pal CV, he seemed almost normal..."

"Yeah... I thought so at first..."

"And did you HAVE to buckle that thing in?" He glanced at a seatbelted Spider-Rock, sitting in the back seat.

"What can I say? LazyMan suggested a buddy system, and none of my other teammates live here."

"But it's just a rock... Right?"

"...It won a duel."

"...Are you SURE that place isn't a mental ward?"

"Yes, Dad..."

"I mean, I've seen some freaky things in my day, but a rock winning a duel's a new one on me."

"Well, it's opponent wasn't very bright, if that helps."

"Oh, it helps..." Joey sighed. Some things weren't worth the effort.

* * *

As soon as Hikari had left the airport, Dark Shroud had sprung into action. He hailed a cab, and once he was in it's backseat, he decided to exercise his power.

"Obey." He let his shadow power flow into the cabbie. The man struggled for a moment, then went slack. He lifted his head, almost a zombie. "Now follow her. Lose her and lose your soul, insect."

The cabbie made no response, save to follow his orders.

* * *

Hikari grinned with delight as she saw the familiar Kame Game Shop come into view.

"It's good to be back," she said to herself.

"This is your home?" asked Flame Swordsman as he appeared by her side.

She shrugged. 'It is and it isn't. It really Uncle Yugi's home, but it's the next best thing, you know?' She thought her response, so her father wouldn't think her unbalanced.

"I believe I do understand," said Flame Swordsman. "The people within are special to you."

'Yes, very. You know how I came to be my dad's kid, right?'

"Yes, you have told me the tale."

'He and Uncle Yugi taught me almost everything I know about the game. I trained right inside the game shop. It's... It's a special place. And Uncle Yugi's a bonafide hero.'

"Yes, his reputation is known, even in my world. I look forward to meeting him."

Flame Swordsman faded away as Joey parked the car.

"So, Hikari," said Joey, "now that you're back, anything you wanna do?"

"You mean besides beat you in a duel again?"

Joey blushed. "For the last time, I told you I went easy on ya!"

"SUUUURE you did, Dad." She chuckled, but stopped as she saw a familiar vehicle pulling up to the shop. She and Joey unbuckled their belts and exited the car in time to see a most unwelcome face step out of a stretch limo.

The man hadn't aged in ten years. Wearing a sweeping Egyptian styled longcoat of the finest white camelhair, it was surprisingly his eyes which defined him most. His eyes were filled with contempt and hate, and silent mockery of all around him.

He smirked as he saw Joey and Hikari.

"Well well... If it isn't Wheeler and the Prodigal Chimp."

Hikari narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Kaiba..." For obvious reasons, her greeting was cold. She didn't care about the disrespect Kaiba aimed towards her... She was admittedly a duelist in training, and he was one of the best in the world. She figured she'd shut him up one day on the dueling field.

No, what irritated her was that Kaiba had never shown her father, a top ranked and world class duelist, the respect he had earned.

"I see you're back from that Academy already. A vacation, perhaps, or did they realize you were trained by a dueling monkey and throw you out?"

"Holiday break," she said, matter-of-factly. "I'm assuming your MANNERS are on holiday too?"

Kaiba considered that, then laughed silently to himself. "She's got your fire, doesn't she?" he said to Joey. "At least she's gleaned SOMETHING useful off of you."

Joey felt his eye twitch, but Hikari shrugged it off. "I gleaned enough to beat you any day of the week. Care to risk it?"

He brushed off the notion with a wave of his hand. "I don't waste my time by dueling children. I leave that to Mokuba these days. I'm here on far more important matters." He turned away from them and entered the game shop.

"'Important matters'?" asked Hikari.

"You'll see," said Joey. "Come on." They followed Kaiba through the doors. On the other side, it was Duelist heaven. Rare cards everywhere, some of which were legendary in their own time. Hikari especially smiled at the sight of the torn Blue-Eyes that served as the centerpiece of the entire collection. To her, it symbolized the beginning of Uncle Yugi's ascendance to becoming the King of Games, a journey her father had proudly helped with every step of the way.

Of course, Kaiba only had eyes for the King himself, standing at the other side of the room.

"Welcome home, Hikari. We've missed you."

"I missed you too, Uncle Yugi," she said, brushing past Kaiba with intentional rudeness to give him a hug.

"It's good you're here," he said. "After all, my business with Kaiba involves you and your friends."

Realization dawned on her. "You're hoping I can convince HIM to do the right thing? Pfft. As if."

Kaiba crossed his arms. "If I didn't believe that fairy tale about shadow games and Millennium Items from you, Yugi, who on Earth would I believe a girl unfortunate enough to have Wheeler for an idol?"

"She's been LIVING with this threat, Kaiba."

"It's true," she said. "All of it."

"Ridiculous." Kaiba scoffed.

"You wouldn't think so if you had an open mind," said Tea, walking down the stairs. "But then you've always had a problem admitting you might not know everything."

"Kaiba with an open mind? I'd pay good money to see that," added Tristan, right behind Tea.

"Well well. The gang's all here." Kaiba sneered. "It's obvious you're just wasting my valuable time. You signed a contract, Yugi, and I'm holding you to it. The deck stays on display, and that's final."

Kaiba started to turn to leave, but paused as his eyes laid on Hikari.

"Then again..." He smirked. "There might be something YOU can do to convince me..."

* * *

Dark Shroud's cab pulled up behind Kaiba's limo.

"Forget," he said to the cabbie, who looked around in a daze, unaware that any time had passed. He would have just stolen the fool's soul, but he wanted his first banishing to be special.

Walking up to the shop's doors, he could see that Kaiba was in negotiations with Hikari's precious clan. No doubt they were trying to regain the deck the King of Games had made famous.

He couldn't allow Kaiba to agree to such an action. Even if it meant endangering his mission.

He paused, thinking about Hikari. Her vibrant red hair, the sparkle in her eyes, the smell of her skin... He'd observed her ever since she'd arrived at the Academy... Oh, how he wanted her all to himself... But no, she had to take the high road and side with the Warrior, one that she had despised, while scorning all who flew under the banner of Evil...

He clenched his fist. If he could not possess her heart, he would happily settle for merely owning her body.

* * *

"Oh, hello," said Grandpa Mutou, coming from the back room. "Yugi, have you gotten those olives yet?"

"You want WHAT?!" Hikari was astonished.

"You heard me," said Kaiba. "You do that, and I'll see about returning Yugi's precious deck."

"You have GOT to be kidding."

"I don't kid," said Kaiba. "Do we have a deal?"

"I-" Hikari began to respond, when Flame Swordsman appeared.

"HIKARI! GET OUT NOW!"

"What?"

"GET EVERYONE OUT NOW!"

Even as Flame Swordsman shouted this warning, the windows began to tremble. There was a rolling sound like thunder. Hikari couldn't help but notice a chill in the air. She rushed past everyone and out the door.

"She's right!" exclaimed Yugi, grabbing Tea and his grandfather by the wrists. "HURRY!"

"What is this nonsense?" demanded Kaiba... just before a window shattered. Instinctively, Joey leapt forward, tackling Kaiba and shoving him out of the way of the glass shards. They landed on the floor, and Kaiba immediately shoved Joey off. "Get off of me," he demanded.

Joey glanced at the shards littering the floor. "You're welcome."

Ignoring Joey's point, Kaiba followed Yugi, Tea, and Grandpa out of the store, while Tristan pulled Joey up.

"Something weird's going on here," muttered Tristan.

"Ya THINK?!" yelled Joey before they scrambled out the door.

They arrived to see Hikari glaring at a creepy looking teenager.

"Shroud..." She clenched her fists. "What are you doing here?"

"Such anger..." He sighed. "And after I went through all this trouble to bring you holiday tidings from Ramesus. Bad girl. Daddy's going to have to punish you."

He snapped his fingers, and the sky grew dark.

"What the?!" Joey looked around, knowing the feeling.

"What is this?" demanded Kaiba. "Another parlor trick?"

"It's no trick," said Yugi. "Kaiba, whomever that boy is, he's dragging us into the Shadow Realm!"

"And the King of Games calls it right," said Dark Shroud. "You see, I can't let you return Yugi's deck, Mr. Kaiba... And besides... You needn't worry... I'd never hurt Hikari..."

"Okay, what is with this guy?" demanded Tristan.

"Is it going to rain?" asked a confused Grandpa. Hikari inwardly winced. The last few years had NOT been kind. Grandpa was beginning to suffer Alzheimer's... The Shadow Realm was no place for a man in his condition.

"He's called Dark Shroud," said Hikari. "You could say he's my stalker."

"Stalker?" asked Yugi.

"Yeah. I'm always catching the little freak hunting for trinkets to remind himself of me. But he's never used shadow powers before."

"I've been saving them for a special occasion," said Dark Shroud. "And this is it. You see, we're going to play a Shadow Game... If you win, everyone goes free. If I win, I randomly pick three people here to lose their souls..."

"And if I refuse?"

"I strand all of you here. Well, almost all of you..." He leered at Hikari, making her flesh crawl. "You I'll turn into my own plaything... Your body will be my obedient servant for all of time..."

"I think I may puke," muttered Hikari. "You're a sick puppy, you know that?"

"Yes, Ramesus said as much... It's why I was chosen for the job. And I have this maid's outfit you'd look so good in..."

"HEY! FREAK JOB!" Joey yelled to be heard. "Leave my daughter alone and try me on for size!"

"Be silent!" Dark Shroud gestured, and a bubble appeared around everyone but Hikari. "Now, as my future father in law, I thought you'd be happy. I'll make her very happy... I promise."

"Ugh..." Tea shuddered. "This kid is freaking me out."

"It's just a field spell," reasoned Kaiba.

"If it were, his disk would be active," said Yugi. "This is very real, Kaiba. And I'm afraid that we're in no position to stop him. For now, it's up to Hikari."

"Of course, if you agree to be my obedient doll now, I'll only take YOUR soul."

"I..."

"I'll even let daddy and Uncle Yugi go... After all, with you in my power, they wouldn't dare retaliate."

Hikari could feel herself sweating. She remembered this place from the Monster World. It hadn't improved with age.

"I'll-"

"Duel him," said Yugi, stopping her.

"But if I give up..."

"You can win, Hikari. Take him down. Show him what a true duelist can do with the Heart of the Cards."

"Don't listen to him, Hikari. Be mine. Save your family."

"Oh, I'll save them," said Hikari. "And I'll do it by taking you down." She wasn't surprised as her duel disk appeared on her wrist. She extended it to play mode.

"Very well. I suppose it's for the best, after all. Ramesus would be very cross with me if I came back without the very best of news..." He slipped on his disk and extended it to play mode.

"GAME ON!"

Dark Shroud: 4000

Hikari: 4000

"I'll go first, if you don't mind," said Hikari, drawing.

She looked at her hand. 'I can't afford any mistakes. We lose Uncle Yugi, we might just as well kiss the entire world goodbye!'

"I'll play the spell card Polymerization! It lets me fuse Guardian of the Labyrinth and Protector of the Throne to create the mighty Giltia the D. Knight!" As she said it, the two monsters swirled together to create a powerful warrior on the field.

Giltia the D. Knight: 1850/1500

"And since that was a special summon, I'll also bring out my trusty Jetroid in defense mode!" She placed another monster card on the field, and Jetroid materialized, crouching.

Jetroid: 1200/1800

"That ends my turn."

"If she thinks that silly looking plane is going to save her, she's a bigger fool than you, Wheeler," said Kaiba.

"That silly little plane's a lot tougher'n it looks, Kaiba. Why not pay attention? Ya might LEARN something." Joey glared at Kaiba, barely resisting the urge to slug him.

"Unlikely, but it should be amusing all the same."

"Very well, my dear..." Dark Shroud drew. "And to think, every card I draw brings me one step closer to having you all to myself for all of time..." He sighed, infatuated.

Hikari, for her part, choked down bile at the thought.

"But now, let the onslaught begin! I place one card facedown." A holo card appeared in front of him. "And now I'll play the spell Cost Down." Cost Down appeared.

"We know THAT card all right..." muttered Tristan.

"That's right!" exclaimed Tea. "Kaiba used it in Battle City!"

"And it means Hikari's about to face a powerful enemy indeed," noted Yugi.

"Here's how Cost Down works. I discard one card from my hand..." He inserted a monster card into his graveyard. "And now all the remaining monsters in my hand are downgraded two levels until the end of the turn... Meaning I need make no sacrifice to summon the vicious Vampire Lord!" He placed Vampire Lord in a monster slot, and the bloodsucking menace appeared on the field.

Vampire Lord: 2000/1500

"Now feel his power! Vampire Lord, destroy Giltia with Vampire Bite!" Vampire Lord morphed into a bat and vanished, reappearing behind a surprised Giltia. Before the Knight could respond, Vampire Lord became humanoid again and wrapped his cloak around the monster. There was a scream... then nothing but laughter as Vampire Lord returned to Dark Shroud's side.

Hikari: 3850

Shroud: 4000

"And now Vampire Lord's special ability activates... You have to discard either a monster, spell, or trap from your deck to the graveyard... And I say you should lose a monster."

Hikari winced as she pulled her deck out of her disk and chose Decoyroid, sending the card to the graveyard.

"Sorry, Decoyroid."

Dark Shroud chuckled. "It'll have plenty of company soon enough. But that ends my turn for now, my queen of the night."

"Queen, huh? Prepare to get crowned upside the head!" Hikari drew. "I play the spell Pot of Greed! It lets me draw two new cards!" She did so.

"Draw all you like. It won't save anyone."

"We'll see about that... First, I switch Jetroid to attack mode." Jetroid stood up. "And now I summon Steamroid in attack mode!" A cartoonish train materialized on the field.

Steamroid: 1800/1800

"Now go attack Vampire Lord with Steam Ramming!"

"Foolish," said Dark Shroud. "My Vampire Lord is stronger!"

"He's right," said Kaiba. "She'll only succeed in costing herself life points."

Steamroid rolled forward, ramming into Vampire Lord... Who shattered into pixels.

"But... But how?!" Dark Shroud couldn't believe it.

"Simple. I activated Steamroid's first special ability. When he attacks, his power goes up by five hundred points!"

Steamroid: 1800/1800 +500/0

Hikari: 3850

Shroud: 3700

"A good move. It seems I may have underestimated the power of these silly cartoons." From Kaiba, that was high praise.

"And now, Jetroid! Attack directly with Twin Missile Strike!" Jetroid nodded and fired it's missiles, striking Dark Shroud and staggering him momentarily.

Hikari: 3850

Shroud: 2500

"That'll end my turn." She smirked. "Give it up, freakshow. You're not gonna beat me and I'll never be your girl."

"You won't have any choice!" said Dark Shroud. He drew. "Ah, excellent. I'll play my own Pot of Greed! Two more cards for me!" He drew twice more.

He snickered. "Oh, this couldn't be better." He held up a card. "I play Monster Reborn! Now, I summon from my graveyard the mighty Ultimate Obedient Fiend!" The ground, despite being invisible to all present, trembled all the same as the gigantic monster rose up from behind Dark Shroud.

Ultimate Obedient Fiend: 3500/3000

"I'd say it was impressive," said Kaiba, "If it didn't have a serious weakness."

"That's right," said Yugi. "As long as he has any other cards on his side of the field, the Fiend is incapable of attacking."

"Who said he was staying around?" asked Dark Shroud. "I play the spell Hammer Shot!" A massive mallet appeared in the air over the field. "This card destroys the monster on the field with the highest attack... MY OWN FIEND!" The hammer came down, crushing Ultimate Obedient Fiend into paste.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Tea was confused. "Isn't that helping Hikari?"

"Yeah, what gives?"

"Watch and learn," said Kaiba. "Or stand around blathering. Either way, this doesn't look good for the Chimp-in-Training."

"What's the deal, Shroud? Why destroy your own monster?"

"Because destroying him lets me activate this spell card... A Deal with Dark Ruler!" The spell card appeared. "You see, to activate it, I had to have a monster of my own of 8 or more stars destroyed. Fiend was ten stars, easily meeting the requirements. And now that Deal is on the field, I can summon from my deck the unstoppable Berserk Dragon!"

Shroud's deck seemed to explode with dark energy, the force alone knocking Hikari back several feet. Slowly, the energy spiraled together, forming a massive undead dragon, the likes of which few had ever seen.

Berserk Dragon: 3500/0

"And for kicks, I'll also summon a monster called Nightmare Horse!" Another card was placed, and a phantasmal steed appeared.

Nightmare Horse: 500/400

Hikari stared at the two monsters with a really bad feeling. She understood the powerhouse dragon, but the Horse had so few attack points. What was the point?

"Berserk Dragon, destroy Steamroid! Infernal Dragon Flame!" Berserk Dragon let loose with black flames, and Steamroid shattered... but not before it's attack points reduced by 500.

Steamroid: 1800/1800-500/0

"I see..." said Kaiba. "It's an excellent attacker, but a weak shield. Perfect for a Wheeler."

"KAIBA..." Joey started to move towards Kaiba, but Tristan held him back.

"Let it go, man. Hikari needs you."

Joey forced himself to calm down. "Sorry, man. You're right. COME ON, HIKARI, STAY TOUGH!"

Hikari: 1650

Shroud: 2500

"Was that... the best... you've got?" She panted. The blast had taken a gigantic chunk out of her life points, and she felt every bit of the damage.

"Only the beginning, my sweet. I reveal my trap card! Vampire's Kiss!" The trap rose up. She could see it was grotesque, showing Vampire Lord draining the blood of a Mystical Elf.

Immediately, Steamroid reappeared... on Shroud's side. But now, it was rusted, falling apart... evil.

"STEAMROID!"

"Zombie Steamroid now," corrected Shroud. "Vampire's Kiss has several effects, which you'll learn as we go along. First, as long as I have a zombie on the field, it cannot be destroyed. Second, as you can see, when a zombie monster destroys one of your creatures... I gain it as a new zombie."

Zombie Steamroid: 1800/1800

"And the other effects?"

"All in due time. But first... NIGHTMARE HORSE! ATTACK HER LIFE POINTS DIRECTLY!" Nightmare Horse galloped forward, running right into Hikari and bypassing Jetroid altogether.

Hikari: 1150

Shroud: 2500

Getting back up, she rubbed her shoulder. 'That HURT! So, the Horse is a direct attacker. That explains a lot. But he's also made a mistake by summoning it. Even my weakest monster could destroy it and take a chunk out of his life points. If I survive the turn, I can bring HIM some pain instead.'

"Now, let's see one of your monsters destroy the other! Zombie Steamroid! Destroy Jetroid! Zombie Rail!" Zombie Steamroid rolled forward, straight at Jetroid. Hikari smirked.

"Big mistake. I activate Jetroid's special ability! Now I can play a trap directly from my hand! GO MAGIC CYLINDER!" Magic Cylinder appeared, sucking up Zombie Steamroid and redirecting him straight at Dark Shroud.

Hikari: 1150

Shroud: 200

"That was nothing," scoffed the Evil Duelist. "Nothing at all. Just like Berserk Dragon's first effect is nothing. A loss of five hundred attack points during each of my end phases is meaningless."

Berserk Dragon: 3500/0-500/0 3000/0

"I end my turn, my love. And my next turn will surely be the last."

"Not happening," said Hikari as she drew. "I play Premature Burial! By paying 800 life points, I can revive Giltia from my graveyard!" Giltia the D. Knight reappeared.

Giltia the D. Knight: 1850/1500

Hikari: 350

Shroud: 200

"Giltia, end the duel by destroying Nightmare Horse! VALIANT DRAGON SPEAR!" Giltia threw his weapon, stabbing Nightmare Horse and shattering it.

Hikari: 350

Shroud: 0

"And that's it."

"SHE DID IT!" exclaimed Tristan. "Way to go!"

"That's my daughter," boasted Joey. "A real champ, just like her old man!"

"No," said Yugi. "Something's wrong. If the duel was over, we would be leaving the Shadow Realm by now."

The smoke cleared from the Horse's demise... to reveal that Zombie Steamroid and Berserk Dragon were still on the field.

"But... How...? The duel's over! You don't have any life points!"

"I said Vampire's Kiss had other effects... It so happens that one such effect, my love, prevents me from losing the duel so long as it's on the field. In addition, now that I have no life points, for every monster on my side of the field, one of your's is destroyed!"

Bats flew out of Vampire's Kiss and engulfed Jetroid and Giltia. When the bats faded away, so did Hikari's monsters.

"Oh no..."

"Oh yes... Now please, finish your turn so that I may claim my prize."

"Oh, I'm not finished yet... I PLAY THE SPELL CARD FISSURE! It destroys the weakest monster on your field!" The ground opened up and swallowed Zombie Steamroid.

"A meaningless and futile gesture," said Dark Shroud. "I still have Berserk Dragon, and he's more than enough to wipe out your remaining life points."

"We'll see..." she muttered. "I place one card facedown and end my turn." A holo card appeared.

"A fighter to the end," noted Shroud. "Perhaps I'll have you wear the policewoman outfit instead..." He drew. "BERSERK, FINISH IT!" Berserk Dragon fired, and Hikari smirked.

"DON'T COUNT ME OUT YET! REVEAL SCAPEGOAT!" Before the astonished eyes of Dark Shroud, four goat tokens appeared. One shattered instantly as the flames hit it.

"I'm far from beaten, you sick psychopath."

"But not as far as you'd think... Berserk Dragon, use your special ability to attack all her remaining tokens!"

To Hikari's horror, the flames spread, destroying all her Scapegoats.

"I'll end my turn, but only because there's nothing you can do. Strike at me all you want. You'll still lose the second I get in any hit at all."

Berserk Dragon: -500 2500/0

'He's right. The only card I have is the one I'm about to draw. Whatever it is, it's my final move.'

"Be strong. Have faith." She could see Flame Swordsman cheering her on.

"Believe in the heart of the cards," said Yugi. "They will guide you to victory."

Hikari nodded. "If you believe in my deck... SO DO I!" She drew. And smiled as she looked at her final play.

"I SUMMON TIME WIZARD!" A clockwork wizard appeared.

Time Wizard: 500/400

"Here's how it works. Time Wizard will either destroy your monsters, and thus Vampire's Kiss... Or himself, which would wipe out my life points. If it comes up skulls, you win. If it's the time machine, I win. It's just that simple."

Dark Shroud looked at Time Wizard's staff. "The odds are against you. The chances are two out of three you'll lose."

"Better a slim chance than no chance at all! GO TIME WIZARD! IT'S UP TO YOU!"

Time Wizard raised his staff, and the clock hand began to spin.

"Come on, Time Magic..."

"Relying on luck. A sign of a weak and desperate duelist. She has a lot to learn before she'll get anywhere in the game." Kaiba sneered. He was tired of this idiocy.

"Did right by me," countered Joey. "And Hikari's got the Wheeler luck!"

"Is that the same luck you relied on when you tried to prove to that mob you were the Godfather of Dueling?" Tristan sweatdropped.

"It's slowing down," said Yugi. "In a moment, this will all be over, one way or another."

"Prepare to be my eternal plaything," said Shroud.

The watch hand slowed... went past the time machine... then a skull... another skull... Before stopping on the second time machine.

"I win." said Hikari.

"TIME MAGIC! TIME MAGIC!" Time Wizard activated his staff, and before Dark Shroud's horrified eyes, Berserk Dragon began rotting away. Chunks fell off the beast as it was reduced to sludge.

"And now that you have no zombies on the field," said Hikari, "Vampire's Kiss is history!" The trap card shattered, and Time Wizard faded away.

Instantly, the Shadow Realm began to disappear as well, as they returned to the real world.

"That was a short night," noted Grandpa, forcing Tea to sigh. The bubble around the group faded away as well.

"It's over, Shroud. Now leave." Hikari pointed at the villain to shoo him away.

"NO! IT'S NEVER OVER! I'LL MAKE YOU MY DOLL ANYWAY!" He leapt at her, ready to force her mind from her body.

He got within two feet before a dark garbed figure ran out and slugged him in the face, knocking him aside with ease.

Hikari blinked, unable to believe who it was that had just come to her aid.

"YOU!"

Her rescuer nodded. "At your service." Poison said it with bravado, the same that he used when performing illusions.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"My job." He glared at Dark Shroud as he got up.

"You... You traitor... Ramesus'll hear of this!"

"No. He won't. You lost a shadow game, now pay the price. PENALTY GAME! DESPAIR DOLL!" The world went negative for Dark Shroud... And his mind went blank.

Poison took a step back as Shroud stood ramrod straight.

"Shroud, wipe all memory of the Academy, Hikari, and me from your mind. Forget dueling. Return to your normal life and never bother anyone again."

"Yes sir." said Shroud, obviously in a deep trance. He turned almost robotically began walking away.

When he was gone, Hikari turned towards him.

"What do you mean you're doing your job?"

"Simple. I guess it's time you knew anyway. CyberV and I have a little arrangement. I watch your back when he can't."

"But... you're one of the bad guys."

"Doesn't mean I can't be a nice guy when I want to."

"Waitaminute..." said Joey. "Yeah, I know you! You're the weirdo we heard about in the video meeting! Poison!"

"You knew?" asked Hikari.

"We did," said Yugi. "We've known for a while. Poison, I thank you for your help."

"Don't. I did it for her. Not you." His voice and eyes were cold. "I still have a score to settle with you someday."

"What do you mean?"

"He's Arcana's son," said Hikari. "He blames you for the loss of his father."

"Arcana... Yes, I remember that duel well. I regret I couldn't save him."

"Regret?" Poison scoffed. "YOU DESTROYED HIM!"

"And if I could bring him back to you, I would," said Yugi. "But I can't. But I can return something to you instead, if you'll come inside." He gestured to the store.

He looked Yugi in the eyes. "You've got five minutes."

* * *

Joey, Tristan, and Tea got to work sweeping up the glass as Grandpa went to answer the phone. Kaiba stood there, disinterested, only remaining to see his bargain with Hikari played though.

"Hello? ...Oh yes, it's good to hear from you and... Hikari? It's for you."

"Yeah. Mokuba? You're a little late. Yeah, I handled it. No sweat."

* * *

"We're too late..." said Mokuba.

"Hikari..."

"We're too late, and she's already wiped the floor with Dark Shroud!"

"YES!" CV pumped his fist into the air, elated.

"SHE WON! SHE WON!" Rocket Warrior cheered, rocketing around the room while Red-Eyes growled softly and caught him in an attempt to calm him down. "Oh, sorry big guy."

CV took the phone. "Glad you're okay."

"Same here. You coulda told me about Poison."

"...Poison?"

"My knight in tarnished armor?"

CV sweatdropped. "Eheh..."

"I appreciate the thought, but I can take care of myself."

"I know, but nothing beats insurance. Hikari, Ramesus can't learn about Poison."

"I know. His secret's safe with me. Listen... There's someone here that wants to talk to you. Can you hang on for a sec?"

"Sure."

There was a pause.

"Hello?"

"Well," said Kaiba. "So YOU'RE the little idiot making a mockery of my XYZ Dragon Cannon..."

"Seto?" asked Mokuba.

"Mokuba, I suggest you leave. This is going to take a while." Kaiba's tone would brook no disobedience.

"Sorry, CV. You're on your own." Mokuba wisely ducked out of his office.

"Now be fair, Mr. Kaiba," said CV. "It's not like I meant disrespect..."

"If I ever catch you disgracing them again, I'll track you down and make your life a living nightmare..."

"You're gonna use Ed Wood movies on me?"

* * *

Hikari winced as she heard Kaiba start a tirade against CyberV. With the dork's ability to turn a phrase, she had a feeling that Kaiba'd be in for one aggravating phone call.

"AND STOP CALLING THEM ZORDS!"

Hikari snickered.

"Hikari," said Joey. "That was cruel."

"Hey, we had to get Uncle Yugi's deck back somehow... CV'll survive."

"I'LL RUIN YOU, YOU LITTLE PUNK!"

"...I think..." Hikari looked around the store. She saw Yugi coming down from upstairs. "Hey, where's Poison?"

"He's gone," said Yugi.

"Gone? Already?"

"Yes."

"So, what'd you give him?"

* * *

Poison walked away from the Kame Game Shop looking at the card in his hand. He fought back a tear as he remembered how special it was.

As he moved towards his home, he cradled the Red Dark Magician that was once his father's, and felt like he'd just reclaimed a part of his own soul...

* * *

"Hikari," said Yugi. "Take this." He held out two envelopes. "One is for you, the other is for your friend... Assuming Kaiba leaves him in any shape to duel again."

Hikari took them. "What are they?"

"Gifts from... a friend. They'll help the two of you in the coming battle."

She looked out the broken window towards the setting sun.

"I have a feeling we're gonna need them..."

* * *

Ramesus opened his eyes and scowled. He could sense Dark Shroud's failure. It would be the work of an instant to undo the penalty game that now bound his mind, but it wasn't worth the effort. The fool had failed, and spectacularly so.

He deserved his fate.

Instead, Ramesus focused on a single card. Through the power of shadow magic, he drew one of Shroud's cards to him. As it materialized, he smiled.

Vampire's Kiss would be a worthy addition to his own deck.

"But first things first," he said to himself. "This holiday of horrors isn't done quite yet..."

He turned away from his desk... Where a picture of Big Andy laid... with a letter opener stabbed through it...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Mikey's Revenge! Get Big Andy!


	26. Mikey's Revenge! Get Big Andy!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: As the holidays began, CyberV opted to remain on campus, both to protect the school, and to avoid problems at home. In response, Ramesus devised a frightening strategy to prevent CyberV from finding the Scepter... blackmailing him with the safety of his vacationing friends! Ashes and Jay found themselves faced with the threat of Ashes' ghostly brother, while Hikari narrowly defeated Dark Shroud in a battle for her soul and Yugi's. But as Hikari made a special arrangement with Kaiba to get Yugi's deck returned to him for the duration of the current crisis (much to CyberV's regret), Ramesus chose his next target...

* * *

CyberV looked out the window of his dorm room, grateful that the holidays would be over soon. Ever since the others had departed to spend time with their families, Ramesus had kept things lively by attacking everyone close to him... First Ashes and Jay had confronted a deadly spirit, then Hikari, with some unexpected help from Poison, had put Dark Shroud down once and for all.

But the final attack, the one he'd been there for... That had to be the hardest to take.

After all, it wasn't every day he lost a friend...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 26: Mikey's Revenge! Get Big Andy!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

It had only been nine days prior... Christmas time...

* * *

The past...

"These attacks have got to stop!" yelled LazyMan. He glanced at the members of Good assembled: Aside from himself, there was Mouse, Ikke, Drift, Nat, and, of course, CyberV. "We can't just let Ramesus keep taking potshots at our teammates."

"Supposedly, if I stay on campus, he won't attack," said CV. "But by the same token, he attacked Hikari and Ashes without any reason, except to prove a point. There's no telling what else he'll do."

"And if CV stays on campus," pointed out Drift, "finding the Scepter will be nearly impossible."

"It's a lose/lose proposition," said Mouse. "No matter what, Ramesus stands to gain a great deal."

"Not necessarily," said Ikke. "If those he attacks are strong, they shall prevail."

"But there's nothing to stop him from attacking again while his target's exhausted," said Nat. She gave him a wry look. "You'd know all about THAT kind of tactic."

Ikke glared at her, but couldn't deny that she had a point.

"We need to look at this logically," said CV.

Everyone looked at him incredulously.

CV glared. "I CAN BE LOGICAL WHEN I WANT TO BE! Remember the taser and the duel with Hikari?! My match with Nat?"

"We were kidding," said Drift. "Relax."

"I thought we agreed not to mention that match again..." said Nat. CV cringed, but returned to business.

"I can't," said CV. "So far, both attacks came unannounced. One right after the other in rapid succession, so there was no time to warn or prepare. However, now we've alerted virtually all the team about the current threat."

"Standard procedure," said Mouse. "Your point?"

"First of all, Ramesus is bound to attack someone I know. That eliminates virtually all the new recruits right there. There's no emotional connection for Ramesus to manipulate."

"Makes sense," said LazyMan.

"Second, most of the people I do know are forewarned now. Hikari's ready for any more attempts, and Jay and Ashes are sticking to each other like glue, so they can back each other up if needed."

"We also heard from Magyk. He's visiting hospitals and performing magic for children..." Drift checked his notes. "What about him?"

"Unlikely. He'd be in public most of the time, and an attack on him would bring the Evil Duelists a bit too much attention from the police. No, Magyk's probably in the clear."

"And, obviously, we are united here," said Ikke. "Who does that leave?"

"A few possibilities," said CV. "Allis, Tapkar, Strong Man, and Big Andy. And I bluntly don't know the first three very well at all."

"Ramesus'll go after BA? I feel sorry for him." Nat chuckled.

"Which one?"

"Both."

"Can we be sure about this?" asked LazyMan. "It seems like a long shot."

"No, but it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Think back. When Big Andy joined the fight, he utterly HUMILIATED most of Evil... He made them look like fools. Ramesus never look an active hand in that situation, but there's bound to be a lot of left over resentment there." CV paused. "Then there's my third deck."

"I see..." said Drift, clearly getting it.

"Big Andy was a lot of things... A nutcase, a crossdresser, and a hardcore otaku freak... But he also served as the inspiration for the sentai deck, which played a major role in stopping Ramesus in the monster world. That's two very good reasons to suspect that BA's on the hit list."

Mouse nodded. She'd seen that deck's world debut up close and personal. Of the three decks CV used, it was possibly the most deadly. "We need to find him."

"Won't be hard," said Drift. "Since he returned from the funny farm, he's taken back his old room. Thankfully, we removed and burned the costumes beforehand."

"THANK GOD..." said everyone else.

"And he's on campus for the holidays. Something about his parents having a restraining order." Drift said it matter of factly, but at the same time stifled a snicker.

"Okay, so we pair off to find him. That way, if one of us IS the target, someone will be there to back said target up. Drift, Ikke, search the grounds. CyberV, Nat, search the eastern half of the school. Mouse and I will search the western half."

"Between snogging sessions?" inserted CV.

"Yes, bet- NOW CUT THAT OUT!" LazyMan and Mouse both blushed.

"What?" CV flashed an innocent look.

That was when Mouse bopped him. "YOU'RE NOT THAT INNOCENT!"

As CV hit the ground, Nat looked towards LazyMan. "We'll send our spirits to help with the search. You guys up for it?" she added, directing the question to Rocket Warrior, Red-Eyes, and Cyber Dragon.

"You know it!" Rocket Warrior flashed a thumbs up, while the dragons simply nodded. They turned in separate directions and went through the walls.

"Okay, let's get moving," ordered LazyMan. "The clock's ticking!"

* * *

"The time has come," said Ramesus. "Go. Seek your revenge. Let nothing stop you from achieving your goal."

"But what about the do-gooders?"

"You have shadow power coursing through you. They are no match for you. If they interfere, banish them as well."

"Count on it." Mikey grinned. He'd been looking forward to this day, ever since that freakshow Big Andy had brained him with a pizza pan.

Before the day was done, Big Andy would take a one way trip to the Shadow Realm...

* * *

"I'm not seeing anything," said Drift as he and Ikke worked their way through the woods.

"Nor I. I'm afraid we're striking out."

"Let's hope the others are having better luck..."

* * *

Big Andy tiptoed through the storage room, headed for his secret stash of costumes.

"I wish I knew where the rest went..." he muttered to himself. He pushed a few boxes aside, then grinned as a box marked "quarantine" came into view. Rushing, he opened it to see... a note. Wincing, he read it.

"'Nice try. From, Everyone.' Aw, come ON!" He tossed the note down. It just wasn't Christmas if he couldn't parade through the halls dressed as various toys.

Turning away from the empty box to leave, he found the way blocked by someone most familiar to him.

"Oh, hey... Have you seen a nutcracker costume around here?"

That was when the fist hit his jaw and everything went black.

* * *

"It seems we're wasting out time," said Mouse as she checked another dormroom. "He's just not here."

"I'd agree," said LazyMan, checking out a bathroom. "The question is if it's a good or a bad sign."

* * *

BA woke up to a splitting headache. Getting to his feet, he looked around to see he was in one of the school dueling arenas.

Standing on the other side of it was Mikey, disk extended.

"...Is this about the Krillin thing?"

"Oh yeah..." Mikey sneered. "Let's go, fat boy. We have ourselves a shadow game to play."

"Uh oh..."

* * *

Red-Eyes flew through the walls of the school like the phantom he was, checking a room every three seconds.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. Growling, he rushed from the arena to get help. BA was gonna need it.

* * *

"You found him!?!" exclaimed CV as Red-Eyes told him what was going on. "Oh no..." He turned to Nat. "Arena seven! Come on!"

Nat said nothing, and merely ran alongside him.

* * *

Mikey: 2100

Big Andy: 450

"It's time to finish this duel," said Mikey. "I play Stop Defense! That means your Mystical Elf gets switched to attack mode!"

Mystical Elf: 800/2000

Mystical Elf stopped praying, and stood tall.

"Not good..." muttered BA.

"Not for you it's not." Mikey snickered as Mad Sword Beast reared up.

Mad Sword Beast: 1400/1200

"FINISH THIS WITH HORN BLADE STAMPEDE!" Mad Sword Beast charged, and gored Mystical Elf, which screamed and shattered.

Mikey: 2100

Big Andy: 0

The monsters faded away. Mikey walked slowly, purposefully towards BA.

"I know I didn't HAVE to switch that pathetic Elf to attack mode to hurt you... I just wanted to hurt you as much as humanly possible." A blood-red wdjat began to appear on Mikey's forehead. "Say goodbye, you freakish little mutant."

"BA!" CV and Nat rushed into the arena. Shocked, Mikey turned to see them, now distracted from his goal.

"YOU!" He growled softly. This was the WORST thing that could have happened. "You can't stop me! He's already lost the shadow game, and that means his soul is mine!"

To prove his point, he moved towards BA again. BA cringed.

"We're too late!" shouted Nat, terrified that they wouldn't be able to stop the travesty from taking place.

"NO... WE'RE NOT!" CV darted forward faster, feeling a familiar sensation all over... The pulsing of his own shadow powers.

Mikey's fingers were within millimeters of touching BA's forehead when CV tackled the villain, pulling him away from his victim. CV let go and rolled free of Mikey, coming up on his feet, ready to fight if need be. His own wdjat was glowing brightly, mirroring Mikey's own.

Mikey pulled himself up and clenched his fists.

"You have no right to interfere! I claim the spoils of victory!"

"You'll claim NOTHING!" yelled CyberV. "I challenge you to a shadow game. The stakes are double or nothing! If you win, you have TWO souls for Ramesus, but if I win, BA goes free, and YOU get banished instead!"

Mikey chuckled. "A chance to banish the Warrior himself..." He grinned like a loon... Which CV considered rather appropriate, all things considered. "You're on. Ramesus would make me his second if I could do that."

"We'll see," said CV, pleased that, for the moment at least, BA was safe. He extended his disk to play mode. He selected his sentai deck and placed it into the slot.

"Let's see just how good you are," said Mikey.

"IT'S DUELIN' TIME!"

CyberV: 8000

Mikey: 8000

"I've been wanting to do this for ages," said the evil duelist.

"Same here," said CV. "I've been itching to get rid of one of you morons for months now. ONE! You threaten the entire world by upsetting the balance between good and evil! TWO! You threaten my friends with harm for no reason at all! THREE! You ruin their holidays for your own selfish ends! FOUR! You lack the courage to just challenge me directly! FIVE! You stand between me and saving the planet, and that's something that can't be allowed to keep going! I'm taking you down, Mikey! WARRIOR OF THE BALANCE! CYBERV... FOR VICTORY!"

CV posed with his trademark v for victory hand sign.

"...Just for that, I'm going first," said Mikey. He drew a card.

Mikey looked at his hand and snickered. "This'll be easier than I thought." He opened the field spell slot of his disk. "I play the field spell Mausoleum of the Emperor!" As he said this, he placed the spell inside the slot, which slid shut. Instantly, the ground quaked and shattered as a massive tomb appeared.

"What in the world?!" CV was shocked. He'd never heard of this spell.

"It's simple. Now we can summon powerful monsters without sacrificing anything. Instead, you pay 1000 life points times the number of sacrifices needed!" He pulled a card from his hand. "So I'll pay 1000 of my life points to summon the mighty Big-Tusked Mammoth!"

CyberV: 8000

Mikey: 7000

As his life points went down, the Mausoleum glowed, and a powerful wooly mammoth appeared on the field, trumpeting it's resurrection.

Big-Tusked Mammoth: 2000/1000

"BIG ELEPHANT..." Rocket Warrior and Cyber Dragon arrived just in time to see the creature emerge.

"Finally, I'll play the spell Megamorph. First, I equip it to Mammoth." The card appeared on the field behind the ancient beast. "Then, as long as my life points are lower than your's, his attack points are doubled. If your's become lower, his attack gets halved, but by the time THAT happens, it'll be far too late for you."

"Be careful!" yelled BA. "He used that thing to crush my strongest monsters!"

"Don't worry," said CV. "I can handle it."

"Yeah, but my monsters were so pretty..."

CV sweatdropped. "A little focus, please?"

"Sorry..." There was a pause. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO THUNDER NYAN NYAN?!?!"

Thankfully, Nat smacked him.

"If the interruptions are finished..." said CV as he drew. "I PLAY THE SPELL CARD POLYMERIZATION!" A vortex appeared in the air. "Now I fuse my Witch of the Black Forest with my Sangan to make the spellcaster known as Sanwitch!"

Both monsters appeared and flew into the vortex. As they did, they combined, creating an odd new monster.

"But Sanwitch isn't staying around," said CV. "Thanks to the spell De-Fusion!" It shone, and Sanwitch faded away to reveal defense positioned Witch of the Black Forest and Sangan.

Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200

Sangan: 1000/600

"How lame," scoffed Mikey. "Those two are pathetic."

"They have their purpose," said CV. "But first, I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared. "And then, I'll play the spell Giant Trunade to return all spells and traps on the field to our hands!"

Just like that, the Mausoleum vanished as it, Megamorph, and CV's facedown card shrunk and returned to their owners' hands.

Big-Tusked Mammoth: 2000/1000

"That was stupid," said Mikey. "You nailed your own card."

"Actually, it was exactly what I wanted." CV held up his returned card. "It's a trap called Treasure Map. When it's returned from the field to my hand through an effect, I get to draw two new cards!" He quickly drew twice. "And one of my new cards happens to be Pot of Greed!"

The Pot appeared, and shattered as CV drew his new cards.

"Now, since Sangan and Witch were summoned through spells, I still get a normal summon... And I think I'll call out my X-Head Cannon!" X-Head Cannon materialized, ready for battle.

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

"And I'll equip him with Z-Metal Tank!" Z-Metal Tank appeared and took a position behind X-Head Cannon.

X-Head Cannon (equipped): 2400/1500

"That just raised his attack by 600 points."

"Won't help you this round, though," said Mikey.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"You can't attack me."

CV scowled. Nat gasped.

"WHAT?! But all Mikey has is the Mammoth!"

"Exactly," said Mikey. "Big-Tusked Mammoth's tough, but his true value comes from his special ability. As long as he's on the field, no monster normal, flip, or special summoned can attack him the same turn it's called out. Meaning that you can't do ANYTHING to me."

"Not yet, anyway," muttered CV. "One card facedown, and that ends my turn." A card appeared on the field.

"FINALLY," said Mikey as he drew. "First, I'll replace Megamorph on the field!" He re-equipped the Mammoth without hesitation.

Big-Tusked Mammoth: 4000/1000

"Then, I'll play a NEW field spell called Gaia Power!" Again, his field spell slot opened wide as he placed it in. Instantly, a massive tree began to grow, quickly reaching heights unimaginable. It was literally impossible to see the top from the ground.

"Gaia Power?" Nat hadn't heard of that one.

"It's simple," said Mikey. "It decreases the defense of earth monsters by 400 points, but INCREASES their attack by 500!"

"But that means..."

"BINGO!" Mikey grinned as Mammoth got stronger.

Big-Tusked Mammoth: 4500/600

"Now I'll summon Mad Sword Beast in attack mode! And he gets the power-up from Gaia Power, making him even better than normal!" The monster that had finished off BA, a nasty dinosaur with a blade for a horn, materialized.

Mad Sword Beast: 1900/800

"Now to do some damage! MAD SWORD BEAST! ANNIHILATE HIS WITCH OF THE BLACK FOREST!" Mad Sword beast charged, and gored the Witch, who screamed and shattered, just like Mystical Elf had moments before.

"This guy's got women issues..." muttered BA.

"He's got issues period..." added Nat.

"He's such a stabbing pain..." inserted Rocket Warrior, earning a tail smack from Red-Eyes.

"And thanks to his special ability, the difference between his attack and her defense is deducted from your life points!"

CyberV winced as the blade of the beast went through him. He staggered, feeling the pain of the blow.

CyberV: 7300

Mikey: 7000

"Thanks... Mikey..." CV stood tall. "You just activated her special ability! Now that she's destroyed, I get to draw a new monster card with a defense below 1500 and add it to my hand!" A card ejected from his deck. CV took it without hesitation.

"Doesn't matter. Now, I COULD have Mammoth attack your X-Head Cannon, but if I do, it'll lose almost half it's attack points afterwards..."

CV clenched his fist. He knew that if X-Head was attack, it was Z-Metal he'd lose, and the result would be a monster not strong enough to crush the Mammoth... Not that it was now.

There was also his facedown. Draining Shield. If he activated it, Mikey's monster would remain a big bruiser indefinitely, long enough to cause serious harm.

Much as he'd appreciate the life points, he couldn't risk losing the duel for them.

"But for now, I think I'll finish off your defense monster instead! MAMMOTH! DESTROY SANGAN! TUSK TRAMPLE!" The mammoth charged, crushing Sangan under heel.

"Thankfully, I don't lose any life points," said CV. "And thanks to Sangan's ability, I now get to choose a monster from my deck with an attack of 1500 or less and add it to my hand!" Another card ejected from his deck. CV grabbed it deftly.

"But you'll lose 'em soon enough," said Mikey. "I place one card facedown." A card appeared to his left. "That's it."

"My turn!" CV drew. "I play Graceful Charity! Now, I get to draw three new cards, as long as I discard two from my hand!" He quickly selected two and sent them to the graveyard.

"What's the point? You can't summon any new monsters this turn without them being dead weight."

"Not planning to, idiot," said CV.

"Well then, I'll just do something about your robots instead."

"That's 'zords'."

"Whatever..." He tapped a stud on his disk. "REVEAL TRAP CARD!" His facedown rode up. "This is Taunt, and as long as it's on the field, any attacks have to be directed to my Mammoth. Which means my Mad Sword Beast is safe, and so am I. Any attacks against Mammoth will only hurt you!"

"Heh." CV couldn't help but laugh at that. "You're a fool. I've already won the duel."

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Simple," said CV. "I have the two cards that'll end this farce right now and put an end to you once and for all."

"PROVE IT!"

"Gladly!" CV placed a spell card into a slot. "I PLAY LIMITER REMOVAL! As long as this card is in play, all my machine monsters double their attack points!"

X-Head Cannon (equipped) 2400/1500 x 2/1 4800/1500

"NO! NO, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! NOT NOW!" Mikey scrambled, looking at his hand for a solution.

"Yes, now. X-HEAD CANNON! X-BARRAGE!" X-Head Cannon fired full force, a gigantic blast of energy that vaporized the Mammoth utterly.

CyberV: 7300

Mikey: 6700

"My Mammoth..." Mikey was stunned. "But I'm still safe, and you're wide open. Soon as your turn ends, Limiter Removal'll destroy your machines!"

"Very true, it would... if I was finished."

"But you're out of attacks!"

"Then I'll make more with my newest spell... COMBINATION ATTACK!" CV held it up, and Z-Metal Tank moved from behind X-Head Cannon to take a place beside it.

"Here's how it works. It separates a union monster on the field and turned it back into a monster in attack mode. It also resets X-Head Cannon for another attack. And thanks to Limiter Removal, both have double attack points!"

X-Head Cannon: 3600/1500

Z-Metal Tank: 3000/1300

"It's all over, Mikey... Z-METAL TANK! Z-TREAD STRIKE!" Z-Metal Tank rolled forward, running over Mad Sword Beast.

CyberV: 7300

Mikey: 5600

"NOW, X-HEAD CANNON! ATTACK DIRECTLY!" X-Head let loose another assault, which struck Mikey head on and sent him flying to the floor.

CyberV: 7300

Mikey: 2000

"NO! NONONO! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO WIN! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE RAMESUS' SECOND IN COMMAND!"

"All you are is the second Evil Duelist to take a final bow," said CV. "ZORDS... COMBINE!"

X-Head Cannon rocketed up as a hatch slid open on Z-Metal Tank. Carefully but quickly, X-Head Cannon lowered into the hatch, which sealed, locking it into place.

"Meet the XZ-CANNON TANK!"

XZ-Cannon Tank: 2400/2100 x 2/1 4800/2100

"OOOOOHHHHH..." Big Andy's eyes went wide. Like a kid at Christmas, he practically drooled. "Can I have this when you're done with it?"

"No," said CV. "Sorry."

"Awww..."

"Good thing he didn't see the V to Z-Dragon Catapult Cannon..." said Rocket Warrior. "He'd latch onto CV's leg and never let go."

"You may beat me," said Mikey, "But Ramesus will never stop until he's annihilated you and your friends! You can't protect them forever! Sooner or later, they'll fall! YOU'LL FALL! ALL OF GOOD WILL FALL, AND THEN THE ENTIRE WORLD!"

"But not today," said CV. "XZ-TANK CANNON! FINISH THIS WITH OMEGA ONSLAUGHT!" The fusion monster rolled forward, blasting full force at Mikey. Explosions rocked the evil duelist, knocking him to the ground where the biggest explosion erupted, obscuring him from sight.

CyberV: 7300

Mikey: 0

"Checkmate." CV snapped his fingers. As he did, XZ-Tank Cannon and his unused Draining Shield faded away. As the smoke cleared, one thing was certain: Mikey was gone as well.

"CV?" asked Nat. "...Where is he?"

"Where he was going to send Big Andy." CV removed his deck from his disk and holstered it. He turned to wink at her. "I figure a couple hours should be enough for his shadow powers to be drained completely."

"And then?"

"I let him out and watch him scamper away like a scolded puppy." He powered down his disk. "I'm not bloodthirsty like Ramesus, after all."

Nat let loose a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"What?" He turned towards her. "Did you REALLY think I'd follow through on the banishment thing?"

"Well... For a minute there..."

"The Warrior's goal is spiritual balance, not vengeance and punishment," said CV. "But he's got to be a protector, too... And that means my job isn't finished here yet." He turned towards Big Andy. "You can't stay."

"...Come again?" BA was confused.

"You can't stay here. It's too dangerous for you to stay on campus. Ramesus' people HATE you, and they won't stop until they've banished you to the Shadow Realm. If I spend all my time defending you, everyone else could suffer terribly."

"But I thought you wanted me as a secret weapon."

"I did, and I was wrong to ask. It wasn't fair to you. It's not your fight, BA. It never was. But if you stay now, people are gonna get hurt and I won't be able to save them. ...I'm sorry..."

BA clenched his fists, taking it in. "...You're right." He sighed, but seemed to cheer up quickly. "But on the bright side, it lets me pursue a dream of mine!"

"Oh?" CV cocked an eyebrow, bemused.

"Yep! I'm gonna travel the world and learn from duelists everywhere, so I can design the ultimate Japanese pop culture deck!" He grinned. "And I've already met the sentai duelist!"

CV patted BA on the back. "Good luck. I have a feeling anyone you meet is gonna need it. Y'know, there IS someone you should consider starting with..."

* * *

Ramesus scowled. Two of his soldiers were gone now. Two of his pawns taken down by the Good Duelists. Unacceptable. Dark Shroud turned amnesiac, and Mikey scared witless.

And the Warrior had finally had his first conclusive one-on-one victory against the forces of Evil.

It was time to take off the kid gloves...

* * *

Across the country, members of both Good and Evil celebrated the holiday in their own ways.

Magyk basked in the adoration of children as he made doves appear out of a hat.

Ikke relaxed in his room, talking to Allis over the phone.

Drift left campus and took a cab home. He arrived just in time for dinner with his family.

Mouse and LazyMan curled up next to each other, discussing the future.

At Roshambo Lake, Ashes and Jay watched the snow fall while sipping hot chocolate.

In Domino City, Hikari added the gift from Pegasus to her deck before answering a call from her family and friends to join them in a celebration.

Across town, Poison regarded his father's Dark Magician and allowed himself the luxury of a single tear.

In New York, Carly and Sonny prepared their decks. They looked forward to raising hell upon their return.

In Greece, Greekman enjoyed a moment's serenity on his family's farm.

In a quiet corner of town, Jimbo laughed at the thought of the future with a voice not entirely his own.

Tapkar helped hang stockings at home, and wondered when Jay would finally teach him more about Final Countdown.

Strong Man gave a piggyback ride to his kid sister, and wondered if the madness at the school would ever touch her innocent head.

McMike and Void put their differences aside as they decorated their homes the way only ninjas could.

Mokuba sat on the opposite side of the dinner table from his brother Seto, and did his best to ignore Kaiba's rantings about the purity of the XYZ monsters.

Big Andy discovered that suddenly, he could hear Thunder Nyan Nyan's voice as he packed.

Ramesus simply began plotting his next move.

Nat looked at a picture of her adoptive father and sighed, unable to contact him.

CyberV returned to his room and simply went to sleep.

* * *

BA left the next day. Only scant hours later, word reached LazyMan that Mikey had abruptly dropped out and gone home, screaming about monster and nightmares beyond imagination.

Since then, things had been relatively quiet.

CyberV looked out his dormroom's window at the night sky. In the morning, his friends would return to the Academy to start the second half of the school year. He didn't know what was in store, but he knew he had to do everything in his power to protect them.

He heard a knock at the door. "It's Nat. Can I come in?"

"Sure." He didn't turn to see her as she came in.

"Are you okay? You seem in a bit of a funk."

"Never been a fan of the holidays."

"Yes, I know. You don't exactly get along with your family. But that's not the reason, is it?"

"No, it's not." He sighed. "Ramesus isn't gonna take what happened to Shroud and Mikey sitting down. He's planning something big. I can feel it."

"We'll beat it, just like we've beaten everything else he's thrown at us."

"Maybe," said CV, not believing it. "A new year is upon us... So why is it the one thing I don't feel is renewed hope?"

Nat didn't have an answer. She did, however, have a question.

"Before I forget, where exactly did you send Big Andy?"

"Well..."

* * *

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Weevil Underwood ran as fast as he could, trying his hardest to get away from the oversized lunatic following him.

"I WANT TO LEARN THE SECRETS OF KAMEN RIDER FROM YOU! COME BAAAAAACK!!!!" BA ran after him full tilt, Thunder Nyan Nyan snickering the entire time.

Next time: Sonny and Carly! Tag Team Duel Against The Deadly Duo!


	27. Tag Team Duel Against The Deadly Duo!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ishizu gave CyberV two mysterious cards to use when the time was right. One, Yin Yang Fusion, has been revealed; the other remains a mystery. At the Halloween party, Jay and Ashes conspired to get CyberV and Nat together. As the holidays began, most of the team scattered across the country. Jay accompanied Ashes to her hometown, while CyberV and Nat remained behind. Yugi gave Hikari cards from Pegasus to pass on to CyberV to strengthen his decks. In separate duels, Dark Shroud and Mikey became the first casualties of the battle between Good and Evil. Meanwhile, while little is known about the evil duelists Sonny and Carly, it seems that they have a dangerous reputation...

* * *

Ramesus casually glanced at Vampire's Kiss and Mausoleum of the Emperor, the signature cards of Dark Shroud and Mikey. His fallen soldiers.

"I am displeased. Vastly displeased."

He looked at the remainder of his core group of followers. His lieutenants. Jimbo seemed distracted, which was par for the course. Poison, fresh from his return home, was clutching one of his Dark Magicians with unusual focus. Greekman leaned against a far wall, no doubt already deciding when to challenge his leader for command again. McMike was casually juggling kunai with one hand. Sonny and Carly were the only ones giving things their full attention. They watched with eyes that would have done a cobra proud.

"Already, two of our own have fallen. If this continues, all my plans will have been for naught."

"Maybe we should stop then," said Poison. "I mean, what do we really gain by trying to steal souls? Sure, it's a great gimmick and it helps put on a good show, but, really, it seems kinda played out."

"It leads to POWER, Poison. I would think you'd be aware of that power, having seen what a small fraction of it did to Jimbo some time back."

"Pfft. I could do the same with a pocket watch and a soothing voice."

"I sincerely doubt it," said Jimbo.

At that, Greekman's eyebrow raised. Since when did Jimbo use words like "sincerely"?

"You doubt me, Poison? I would have thought you smarter than that." As Ramesus said this, Ryu Kokki rose up from the shadows. Once, only Ramesus could see him. Now, their shadow powers growing, all in the room could make out the fearsome zombie.

"Perhaps it is merely a lapse in morale," hissed the creature. "What you require is a victory. Something impressive that cannot be denied..."

Sonny smirked. "We wipe out all the other tag team duelists." His eyes glinted like the steel of a gun barrel.

"Sounds like fun," said Carly. "We beat them, and we'll be the only ones left. The undisputed tag team champions of the Academy... And we'll get SO much stronger with all those pathetic losers banished to the darkness forever..." She grinned, but there was no warmth from her smile.

"And we'll mow down anyone that tries to stop us, too," said Sonny.

Ramesus considered that. "The Warrior. He will try to stop you."

"Let him try," said Carly. "By the time the day is done, he can join all the tag teamers in the next world."

"And his power... will be OURS." said Ryu Kokki.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 27: Sonny and Carly! Tag Team Duel Against The Deadly Duo!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Necrofear

* * *

"CHOPMAN!" yelled Carly. "FINISH THESE LOSERS WITH HATCHET SLAUGHTER!" A zombified mockery of a man lunged forward with a chainsaw, and the holographic blade sliced through Alex Rais and Jessica Gunn like a knife through butter.

Both tag duelists fell to their knees, badly hurt by the attack. Their monsters, all a variation on a science fiction weapon theme, faded away.

"It... it hurts..." gasped Jessica. She held her shoulder. It genuinely felt like she'd just been sliced open, even though there was no wound.

"That's the power of the Shadow Realm," said Sonny as blood red wdjats appeared on his forehead and Carly's. You've lost, and now you pay the price. Your souls will be banished for all eternity! Enjoy oblivion!"

As he said it, frightening creatures began to rise up from the floor, grasping at the two defeated duelists.

"OH MY GOD!" shrieked Jessica as they swarmed over her and Alex.

"JESSICA! HANG ON!" Alex tried throwing them off, but in seconds, he was buried under them. Jessica screamed one last time as she was completely covered by the creatures.

Both fell silent as the shadows faded. Lying on the floor, their eyes blank white, Alex and Jessica were nothing more than empty shells. Standing over them, Sonny and Carly snickered.

"Two down."

* * *

"Oh come on! You gotta fill me in, man! SOMETHING had to happen while I was away!" For the last several hours, CyberV had been subjected to intense interrogation by Jay.

"Sorry. Nothing." CV shrugged. 'Not unless you count a duel to save Big Andy's soul...' he added mentally.

"But you and Nat... All alone in this big school. No supervision... I mean, I even nailed mistletoe everywhere."

"...Wait, that was YOU?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"It led to awkward moments between Ikke and Drift."

There was a pregnant pause as that was processed. Jay covered his ears. "OH GOD! MENTAL IMAGE! NOT FADING!"

CV grinned. "You're SO easy."

"PLEASE tell me you were kidding," said Hikari as she knocked on the door to their room. "Because I don't need nightmares."

"You can rest easy," said CV. "When they kissed, no tongue."

"EW!" Hikari shuddered.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist." CV snickered. "Glad you're back in one piece."

"Same here," said Hikari. "Some holiday. I can't believe that little freak followed me all the way home."

"Which one?" asked CV.

"Both."

"Both?" asked Jay.

"Dark Shroud stalked me... Poison... kinda saved me."

"...You're kidding."

"No, Ikke and Drift making out is a sick joke. This was real."

"So, why did Poison..."

"I dunno," said Hikari a bit too quickly. "I guess it really doesn't matter. And in any case, that's not why I'm here." She reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Here. A present from Dad and Uncle Yugi."

Jay watched as she handed the envelope to CV. "What? Nothing for me?"

She shrugged. "Nope. Guess they didn't think you needed the help."

"Owie... Double whammy... I need the help, and no present for you," muttered CV as he opened the envelope. There was a small assortment of cards, many of them featuring Rocket Warrior. "No way... I've never heard of these cards before."

"No one has, except for Pegasus."

THAT got the boys' attention.

"Pegasus? NOW it starts making sense..." CV thought back, remembering what he knew of Ikke's history. "He wants me to survive this fiasco so I can save Ikke's people."

"That about sums it up," said Hikari.

"I'll have to make sure I don't let him down," said CV.

"But first, we've gotta clean up the mess here," said Jay. "Any thoughts on how?"

"Not really," said CV. "Ramesus launched attacks on the holidays to force me to stay here... He might try it again in the future."

"If he's gonna attack, he's gonna attack, and nothing you can do will stop it," said Hikari. "He's a bully and a coward, and that's how his kind behaves. You can't stop looking for the Scepter just to protect us. We can take care of ourselves."

"Big Andy couldn't," said CV. "Mikey almost stole his soul. If I hadn't interfered, BA'd be lying in a hospital bed, his mind lord only knows where."

"It's BA," said Hikari. "His mind went bye bye YEARS ago."

"Relax, man," said Jay. "It's not all that long ago that I was protecting YOU. Besides, we CAN take care of ourselves. In case you've forgotten, we're a team, and occasionally, that means having to stand on our own. There were shadow games long before the Warrior came around."

"I guess..." muttered CV.

"So," said Jay. "What REALLY happened while we were away?"

* * *

"Nothing," said Nat. "Sorry."

"You're kidding," said Ashes. "Absolutely nothing happened?"

"Saw a shadow game and a leadership challenge, but that's about it."

"Well that's..."

"What?" Nat gave Ashes a look. "You mean you thought... Oh lord, no. Nonononono..."

Ashes laughed. "Yeah, I guess it was a bit silly. It's just you seemed to be softening up towards our resident dork and, well... After the Halloween party..."

"Which you helped Jay set up..." Nat said it with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay! Okay! I get it! I'm sorry!" She held up her hands in resignation. "I just thought it was funny, but after what you said that day Mouse challenged Void and McMike... Well, rumors start."

"That's all they are," said Nat, dropping the subject. "Rumors and nothing more. We're just friends and that's all there is to it."

"If you say so..." That earned Ashes a dirty look from Nat. "Okay! I'm dropping it! I'm dropping it!"

There was a pause.

"So, what's this about Drift and Ikke?"

"Don't ask."

* * *

"NOOOOOO!!!!" Serena screamed as the shadows parted, and she fell, like a marionette with it's strings cut. She joined her partner, Jacob, on the floor, white-eyed and soulless.

"Too easy," said Carly, disgusted. "So, who's next?"

"Only one tag team left unless you count the Brew Sisters," said Sonny. "And they're teammates, so they're safe."

"Lucky them." said Carly. "So, who are the lucky victims?"

"Rex and Levia." Carly had heard of them. Supposedly such good tag teamers that they could choose two random themes and make them work in perfect synch, even attributes inherently contradictory.

"They don't stand a chance."

As they stalked the halls for their next targets, it was hard to believe that they were at the Arcane Academy, instead of following in her father's footsteps.

The footsteps of the Don of Crime...

* * *

The Past...

As the daughter of an international crime lord, few knew power the way Carly did. Every day, she watched as her father, in his own way, ruled the world. She knew that there were fictional kingpins of crime, men and women that ruled the underworld with an iron fist.

She had the unique pleasure of being the heir to the one TRUE kingpin. Her father was well protected from the law, through a veritable horde of the greatest lawyers money could buy.

Every day, she awoke, knowing that one day, she would be the most powerful woman in the world.

Every day, for her, was perfect. But it was also terribly lonely. Her father spent so much time running his empire, that most of the time, she was raised by servants, with only the children of those hirelings as her companions.

For the most part, she tolerated the other children. After all, one day, they would likely be HER underlings. It didn't pay to rile the help. Most, she wrapped around her thumb easily.

Then there was Sonny. The son of one of her father's most trusted enforcers, Sonny said what was on his mind, regardless of the trouble it could land him in.

It was that sheer recklessness, that bravery, that drew her towards him. It was through him that she discovered Duel Monsters. And it was through him she heard rumors of the Shadow Games. Terrible contests where the loser forfeited their soul and the winner gained tremendous power.

It appealed to her in a way that even being the next kingpin of crime couldn't top. Sonny taught her the game, and they developed the perfect tag team decks.

They became quite the team outside of dueling as well.

It was simplicity itself to arrange entrance into the Arcane Academy. Granted, discovering the identity of the owner had been a slight challenge, given that, unlike most, it was not run by Seto Kaiba, but ultimately, they had found the woman in charge, Ishizu Ishtar.

"You wish to enroll in my Academy?" she had asked. "This is most unusual. The Arcane Academy normally selects students solely through invitation."

"So invite us," said Sonny. "We're the best tag team the dueling world will ever see."

"Perhaps, but perhaps not. I cannot foresee the future, but I can see darkness within your souls. You wish to pursue the shadow power, do you not?"

"Of course," said Carly. "We deserve it."

Ishizu pondered that. "Very well, but know this: those that seek power for the ill of man, most often bring ill upon themselves."

With that, their audience with her had ended. The next day, their invitations arrived. They wasted no time in going and signing up with the Evil Duelists.

And now, they had TRUE power.

* * *

"Found them," said Sonny, breaking Carly from her reverie. She looked to see their next victims blindly walking down the hall. They had no idea that they were enjoying their final moments of life.

She hesitated for a minute to take it all in. Then she grinned. "Let's do it."

* * *

Walking towards the cafeteria, CV had to roll his eyes. Jay had just asked him for the full true story for the billionth time. It was starting to get a WEE bit tiresome.

"For the last time, NOTHING HAPPENED," he said, exasperated. "Ask Nat."

"He did," said Nat, coming up behind them. "And Hikari, and Ashes, and just about everyone else on the team."

"That's not true..." said Hikari. "Ikke doesn't care."

"And no one's seen Drift all day..." added Ashes.

* * *

"I'M NOT COMING OUT OF THIS BATHROOM STALL UNTIL THE RUMORS DIE!"

* * *

"I hope he's okay..."

CV stopped suddenly. "Speaking of people being okay..." They're reached the infirmary, and it was disturbingly packed. Students were laid out on every bed available. They were all unconscious.

"Oh man... Did they serve mystery meat again?" asked Rocket Warrior as he materialized by CV's side.

"No," said Nat. "I recognize some of them. They're tag team duelists. All of them, I'll bet."

"They have been stricken by a curse most foul," said the Creator as he appeared next to Jay. "Can you not sense it?"

CV could. "Their souls are gone. Stolen."

"Ramesus?" asked Ashes.

"If it was him, why focus on the tag teamers?" Hikari had a point. Ramesus had no specific reason to target them.

"He wouldn't," said Jay. "But he DOES have some tag team duelists on his team."

"Sonny and Carly," muttered CV. "And those Brew Sisters." He paused and looked over the fallen duelists. "Oh no..." He clenched his fists.

"What is it?" asked Jay.

"I know who's next. And I know where they are right now."

* * *

They ran through the halls, duelists on a mission. It didn't take them long to find the problem... It was kind of hard to miss a gymnasium filled top to bottom with shadow energy.

"How'd you know...?" started Ashes.

"No time to explain," said CV. "Our Duel Spirits should protect us, but we'll still need to be careful. We're walking right into the Shadow Realm."

Hikari and Nat knew what that felt like, having each been there before. But this was the first time they'd be willingly entering it. Sensing their apprehension, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Flame Swordsman, Cyber Dragon, and Raging Flame Sprite appeared.

"Everyone ready?" One by one, they nodded. "Let's go." Without hesitation, CyberV walked into the miasma, his spirits right there with him.

"It's so cold..." whispered Ashes, holding herself to fight the chill.

"Stay close to me, urged Flame Sprite. "My fire powers'll keep you warm."

"Thanks..." She wasn't surprised that she could feel the heat from the Sprite's cauldron. After the way the Spirits had saved Hikari and Nat from the shadows, it just seemed natural to assume their signature monsters would be solid here.

"I can't see anything," said Nat. "Just darkness and... GAH!" She came up short as something slimy brushed against her leg. She looked down to see a grotesque black blob trying to claw at her. "BACK OFF!" She kicked it, sending it flying into the distance.

"They are shadow creatures," said Flame Swordsman. "Scavengers and opportunists. As long as we are here, they cannot harm you."

"But you won't be here," said CV.

"Eh?" Flame Swordsman was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Simple," said CV. "We'll have our hands full dealing with whichever tag team is stealing souls. Rocket Warrior, Red-Eyes, and Flame Sprite should stay with us, while you, the Creator, and Cyber Dragon try to find the missing souls."

"Why not have all of us go?" asked Flame Sprite.

"Because, like he said. We need protection from the shadow creatures. It won't do any good to find the missing souls if we lose our own in the process."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Jay?" asked Creator.

"Go. He's right. The three of you should be able to handle it."

"Very well."

Flame Swordsman mounted Cyber Dragon, and the three spirits flew off into the darkness.

"Let's just hope they come back," said Nat.

"They will," said Ashes. "They have to."

With Flame Sprite lighting the way, they walked further into the shadows. It was a full fifteen minutes before they started to hear the explosions.

"It doesn't sound good..." muttered Hikari.

"RED-EYES! Take us there!" CV turned to his spirit, who nodded and quickly scooped up the teens in his claws before taking flight, the Flame Sprite and Rocket Warrior right behind. In seconds, they found the battle, all but over.

CV scowled as he saw Rex, already lying still on the ground. He looked like he was dead.

But what really got to him was the fact that Sonny was holding Levia by the neck, holding her over a cliff that couldn't possibly be natural.

"It's Sonny and Carly," said Ashes. "Oh man... If the rumors about them are true..."

"The rumors don't matter," said CV. "Stopping them is all that counts."

"...You're not gonna go glowy again, are you?" asked Jay.

"Take us down, Red-Eyes." Ignoring Jay's question, CV focused on the situation. But as his dragon began to lower to the ground, something horrific occurred.

Sonny let go, and Levia began to fall.

"ROCKET WARRIOR!"

"I'M ON IT!" Rocket Warrior blasted forward, transforming into invincible mode as he blasted past the cliff edge after Levia, startling Sonny in the process.

Red-Eyes landed and released the team, which rushed to see if Rocket Warrior had succeeded.

"She's done for," chuckled Carly.

Things were silent for five seconds. Ten...

Then Rocket Warrior came blasting skywards, holding Levia in his arms.

"Thank you for flying Air Rocket. Please enjoy the ride!"

"ALL RIGHT!" Ashes pumped her fist into the air, cheering.

"Her soul hasn't been taken yet," said Flame Sprite. "Any later..."

Sonny and Carly glared at the intruding spirit, then turned towards the team.

"Ramesus figured you'd show up sooner or later," said Sonny. "Glad you didn't disappoint."

"Now we can take care of you losers too." Carly smiled sadistically.

"Someone's getting taken care of," said CV. "And it's not us."

Rocket Warrior landed next to CV and set Levia down. She was dazed, but definitely in one piece.

"Levia, you okay?" asked CV.

"I... I think so... REX!" She said with a start. "REX, are you- REX!" She saw his prone body and screamed in horror.

CV placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll get him back for you. I promise."

She was crying, but managed to nod. CV fought back his anger. It wouldn't serve him here.

The situation was looking grim. None of them were well versed in the art of tag dueling, and Sonny and Carly were experts. This deep into the Shadow Realm, the only true way out was to defeat those that had brought it to their plane of existence.

He felt a pulsing sensation. Once. Twice. And again. He looked down to his sidedeck and saw a familiar card glowing. He carefully took it out and looked at it.

"Ishizu's second card..." He took that in. "It's time to put it to work." He took out his Red-Eyes deck and placed the card inside.

"I know that look," said Jay. "You're gonna take them on."

"No doubt," said CV.

"Fine. And I'm gonna be right there with you."

CV smirked at that. "Glad to have you." He glanced at the girls and the spirits. "Sprite, Rocket Warrior, protect them. Red-Eyes, it's just you and us, buddy."

Red-Eyes faded, shooting into CV's deck. Rocket Warrior and Flame Sprite took up positions on either side of the girls, ready to fend off any shadow creatures.

"Be careful..." whispered Levia.

"Well well. We finally get to see what the Warrior can do..." Carly laughed. "I bet this won't even last two rounds."

"Put your deck where your mouth is," said CV.

"Gladly," said Carly. "But first, we decide the stakes. whomever loses stays in the shadow realm forever."

"And if we win," said CV. "The souls you've stolen go free."

"Fine," said Sonny. "Now to decide the order for this duel, we each pick a monster card from our decks. Highest star level goes first."

"Agreed."

"I'm with you so far," said Jay. All four duelists reached into their decks to pick their monster.

"Okay, now show what you've chosen," said Carly as she held up Mefist the Infernal General, a five star monster.

Jay held up The Creator Incarnate, a 4 star creature.

Sonny held up another five star, the Chain Master.

CyberV held the highest monster... Lava Golem. Eight stars.

"Since we have a tie for second," said Sonny. "Carly'll go, then me."

"Fine," said CV. "So me, Carly, you, and Jay."

"Let's do it," said Jay as they all extended their duel disks.

"Watch yourselves..." muttered Nat.

"SHOO! SHOO!" Flame Sprite shot fireballs around, burning shadow creatures to ward them off.

"MAKE IT FAST!" yelled Rocket Warrior.

CyberV/Jay: 8000

Sonny/Carly: 8000

"It's duelin' time..." muttered CV with absolutely none of his usual bravado. Instead, he said it with intense focus.

'Our only real chance is Ishizu's second card. I have to be able to draw it and play it quickly in order to keep them from using whatever strategy they've developed.' CyberV glanced at his deck. 'Don't let me down...'

He drew six cards. 'Not what I needed, but maybe I can get a head start setting up the conditions...'

"I PLAY POT OF GREED!" The green pot appeared. "This spell lets me draw two new cards!"

CV did so. 'Still not what I needed, but with a full hand, the odds get a lot better with my next move.'

"Now I play Card Destruction!" The card appeared on the field. "Now we each discard our entire hand to the graveyard and draw the same number of cards from our decks!" That meant five for everyone but CV, who drew six.

"What's wrong? Didn't like your hand?" Sonny called out in a taunting tone. "Don't worry. We'll cut it off for you soon enough..."

"Actually, I like my hand just fine!" CV looked at his new cards. "And now for some heavy hitters!" he said. "I ACTIVATE POLYMERIZATION!" He held up the card, along with two monster cards. "I FUSE RED-EYES BLACK DRAGON AND KING OF THE SWAMP!" The two creatures appeared, but King of the Swamp quickly morphed into a slimy version of Summoned Skull. "TO CREATE THE ALMIGHTY BLACK SKULL DRAGON!" The two monster swirled together to create a massive demonic dragon.

Black Skull Dragon: 3200/2500

"Nice move!" yelled Jay. "Got anything to follow up with?"

"I did say there'd be more than one..." said CV. "And thanks to one of the cards I just got today, there's about to be THREE powerhouses on the field!" He placed one of his newest spells, straight from Pegasus, into a spell slot, and two mirrors appeared on either side of Black Skull Dragon.

"What the?! WHAT IS THAT?!" Carly demanded.

"It's a unique spell called Fusion Mirror of Heritage," said CV. "Here's how it works. First, when a monster is fusion summoned, I can automatically search my deck or graveyard for it's component monsters." His deck spat out two monster cards. "In this case, Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull. Now, if I pay 500 life points for every tribute that would be needed to normal summon them, I can special summon them to the field!"

Both cards glowed, and Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull appeared in the Mirror for a moment, before pulling themselves from the reflection and taking their places on the field.

CyberV/Jay: 6500

Carly/Sonny: 8000

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: 2400/2000

Summoned Skull: 2500/1200

"Sure, in this case, that's 1500 life points, but it's well worth it."

"Careful," said Jay. "No telling what they have planned."

"That's why I'm not taking chances," said CV. "Now I'll play the spell Reasoning!" Reasoning appeared on the field. "Here's how it works. You call out a monster level. I discard from my deck until I reach a monster. If you call it right, it goes to the graveyard too. If you call it wrong, it goes to the field." He smirked. "So call it, little lady."

Carly glared. "Seven stars."

"Your funeral..." muttered CV as he went through his deck. "Well, it's seven, all right. Seven cards until I reached my newest monster, that is." He discarded the seven spells and traps to the graveyard. "Too bad for you the monster has FOUR!" A heavenly light shone through the darkness. "Now meet my newest creature, the Sacred Crane!" A beautiful white bird flew in and took it's place next to CV's three powerhouses.

They looked down at the Crane and sweatdropped.

Sacred Crane: 1600/400

"...He summoned Tweety..." sighed Hikari.

"That was... different..." allowed Ashes.

"He's nothing," said Sonny. "We'll fry him."

"Maybe, but the Crane's special ability just got activated!" CV smirked. "When it's special summoned, I get to draw another card!" CV drew again, and felt the familiar throbbing.

'YES! I just got Ishizu's card!' He placed it into a magic slot without looking. "One card facedown, and that ends my turn!"

The card appeared. And for Carly, it was long past time. Now the slaughter could begin.

Carly moved to draw, when they heard an explosion. They turned to see Rocket Warrior and Flame Sprite doing their best to fend off the shadow creatures, but they had four people to protect... It was a lot of ground to cover.

"Hang on!" said Hikari. "Maybe if we summon some monsters..."

"No," said Ashes. "Remember in monster world? Our monsters could only do damage if they were duel spirits. Anything else just got trampled!"

"What do we do?" asked Levia.

"I'm open to suggestions..." muttered Nat.

"So are we..." said Rocket Warrior as he sliced a blob in half.

"ON IT!" yelled CV as he reached into his second deck holster. He pulled out two cards. "NAT! CATCH!" He threw the two cards, which Nat easily caught.

"Got them!" She paused, looking at the cards. "Your Rocket Warrior card?"

"Ummm... I'm already here..." said Rocket Warrior.

"I know. Just trust me."

Nat nodded and extended her disk to play mode. "Looks like we're teaming up," she said to Rocket Warrior as she placed his card on a monster zone.

"Whatever it takes," said the spirit. "But you'd better play that second card!"

"You want it? You've GOT IT!" Nat slid the card into the spell zone behind Rocket Warrior's card, and it immediately appeared. It glowed for a second... and then suddenly three more Rocket Warriors appeared. One was red, one was blue, and the final one was yellow.

"ROCKET WARRIOR DEFENSE SQUADRON REPORTING FOR DUTY SIR!" The clones saluted Rocket Warrior, who sweatdropped.

"What the...?"

"They're tokens," said CV. "They have all your powers and are extensions of your will. They're you, and you're them. Plus, as a bonus, you can't be destroyed in battle PERIOD."

Rocket Warrior chuckled at that. "Oh, this is gonna be FUN. LET'S GET TO WORK, SQUADRON!"

Each token monster did as it was instructed, forming a barrier between the girls and the shadow creatures.

"Good luck..." muttered CV as he returned his focus to the duel.

"If you're finished..." muttered Carly. She drew. "I play the spell Pot of Avarice! Since most of the cards you made me discard were monsters, they return to my deck, and I can draw two new cards!" Her graveyard ejected some of her cards, and she reshuffled her deck before drawing two.

"Now I'll place two cards facedown and summon the master thief Don Zaloog!" As she said this, a man wearing an eyepatch appeared. He seemed decidedly unsavory.

Don Zaloog: 1400/1500

"Your turn, lover," she said.

"Short and sweet. Not like HIS turn. I thought it'd NEVER end." Sonny drew. "I'll play my own Pot of Avarice! You know the drill, so I won't explain it." The effect occurred again.

"And now I play a spell called Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!" A spell card appeared on the field. "It allows me to summon the rest of Don's crew from my hand, so come on out! MEANAE THE THORN! CHICK THE YELLOW! GORG THE STRONG! CLIFF THE TRAP REMOVER!" The card erupted, and the four people depicted on it materialized, ready to fight. Each was crueler looking than the last.

Meanae the Thorn: 1000/1800

Chick the Yellow: 1000/1000

Gorg the Strong: 1800/1500

Cliff the Trap Remover: 1200/1000

"Whew..." Jay breathed a sigh of relief. "They're almost all weaker than the Crane!"

"Don't bet on it," muttered CV.

"Got that right!" said Carly. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! TEAMWORK CHEAP SHOT!" Her first facedown rose up.

"I've never heard of that card..." said Hikari as Rocket Warrior Red swatted away two blobs.

"That's because it's a tag team exclusive card," said Carly. "It works like this. We pay half our life points..."

CyberV/Jay: 6500

Sonny/Carly: 4000

"And on my partner's first turn, he can attack regardless of the rules!"

"But you can only destroy the Crane," said Jay. "That makes no sense. It's not worth it."

"It WILL be," said Carly. "THANKS TO DARK SCORPION COMBINATION!" Her second card rose up. "This card reduces the attack of all our monsters to 400 for this turn, but it lets them attack you directly!"

"Uh oh..." muttered Jay. "INCOMING!"

"GO, DARK SCORPIONS! FIVE DEADLY STINGS!" All five enemy monsters charged, deftly going around CyberV's monsters and slashing at him from all sides.

"And if you think THAT hurt," said Sonny. "You'll HATE this! It's a spell called Triple Threat. When your strongest monster is over 1000 attack points more powerful than our weakest, the total damage they inflict this turn triples!"

"But that means-" started Ashes.

"THEIR LIFE POINTS!" finished Flame Sprite as CyberV screamed in agony. In the Shadow Realm, the wounds were psychic, but no less painful than the real thing.

"Woah. SO worth it. Even if it cost us another 2000 points." Sonny chuckled as CyberV fell to his knees, panting. "In case you didn't figure it out, THAT was for Mikey." He glanced at Hikari. "Dark Shroud's revenge'll be in just a few minutes."

"Try it..." muttered Hikari.

CyberV/Jay: 500  
Sonny/Carly: 2000

"Oh, I will..." he said. "But first, we continue the onslaught! Now that they've inflicted battle damage, their effects activate!"

"Not good..." muttered Nat.

"First, Chick the Yellow can return one card to your hand! But since Black Skull Dragon can't do that, being a fusion and all, he's destroyed instead!" Chick the Yellow threw a blade, and it pierced Black Skull Dragon. The dragon roared in agony, then fell to the ground and erupted.

"Now Gorg the Strong can return Summoned Skull to the top of your deck!" Gorg the Strong swung his hammer, and Summoned Skull was struck, reverting to a card that slid into CyberV's deck.

"Next up is Don Zaloog, who destroys the top two cards in your deck!" Don grabbed CV's arm and forcefully took the cards, shoving them into CV's graveyard.

"Now HERE'S where things get sticky. You see, Cliff COULD destroy your spells on the field, but if either could stop us, you'd've already used them. So he'll destroy two more of the cards in your deck instead!" Cliff threw a dagger, stabbing at CV's deck. He pulled on a string attached to it, and the top two flew out and into his graveyard.

"And finally, Meanae lets me add another Dark Scorpion Combination to my hand from my deck." It ejected into his hand. "Which means next turn, you're done."

Carly chuckled. "Ready to surrender? You don't stand a chance."

"Never... surrender..." said CV as he pulled himself up, forcing the Dark Scorpions back to the other side of the field. "We're down, but we're not out! Jay, just keep in mind that the time we talked about's arrived!"

Jay's eyes widened. "I gotcha. Okay, my move!" Jay drew. "I play Graceful Charity!" An angelic woman appeared. "She lets me draw three cards, as long as I discard two from my hand!" Jay did so and she faded away.

"DO IT!" he yelled.

"Do what?" demanded Sonny. "He's useless!"

"WRONG!" yelled CV as he felt the card pulse. "ONE! You harm the innocent for your own selfish gain! TWO! You follow a path of evil, and show no remorse! THREE! You demean all others to raise yourselves up! FOUR! You cowardly ambush your victims like the jackals you are! FIVE... MY CARD'S NOT AS USELESS AS YOU ASSUMED! I am the Warrior of the Balance: CYBERV! AND THIS CARD BRINGS VICTORY! REVEAL TRAP CARD! EXCHANGE OF THE SPIRIT!"

The card rose up, and ghosts swarmed the field, swirling around the disks of all four duelists. Slowly, each deck shrunk.

"W-what did you do?!" Carly watched as her deck shrunk to almost nothing.

"Exchange of the Spirit is a very rare and powerful trap. It switches the contents of our decks and graveyards as long as I have 15 cards in my graveyard. I only had 14 until you pulled your little stunt with the Dark Scorpions. I should thank you. If you hadn't done that and assumed my card was worthless, you might have won."

"We're not beaten yet..." muttered Sonny. "We still have cards left! Including Dark Scorpion Combination!"

"You'll never get the chance to play them, right Jay?"

"You know it," agreed Jay. "Especially since it's still my turn! I play my OWN CARD DESTRUCTION! And that means..."

"no..." Carly watched in horror as her hand vanished and the last of her cards, nowhere near the needed number, came to her hand.

"-THAT YOU AUTOMATICALLY LOSE, CARLY!"

"NO!" She turned and to her horror, saw that the shadow creatures were swarming towards her. In microseconds, they were climbing up her legs. "NO, STOP IT! I'M THE GODDAUGHTER OF CRIME! I CAN'T GO LIKE THIS!"

"CARLY!" yelled Sonny as he moved to help her. He grabbed her arm, but found he couldn't resist the pull of the shadow creatures. "HANG ON!" He glared at CyberV. "YOU DID THIS! DIE!" He whipped out a gun and aimed it at CyberV. He fired, but Sacred Crane flapped it's wings, sending the bullet off course.

"And they said you were useless..." said CV. "We knew better, didn't we?"

The Crane seemed to smile.

"GO!" yelled Jay.

"RED-EYES! CRANE! FINISH IT!" called out CV as he drew his last card.

Sacred Crane nodded and flew into the air, creating a radiant light that burned Meanae to a crisp.

CyberV/Jay: 500

Sonny: 1400

Red-Eyes had the final say as he targeted Chick the Yellow.

"INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" yelled CyberV as the dragon released a massive fireball that nailed Chick, shattering him.

CV/Jay: 500

Sonny: 0

The explosion knocked Sonny off his feet. Immediately, the blobs began to cover him.

"CARLY! I'M SORRY!"

"GET OFF OF ME! GET OFF!"

"HELP US! PLEASE!" CV and Jay could see they were being dragged down into the darkness.

"I can't," said CV. "You made the rules for this Shadow Game. I'm powerless to change it. There's an old saying: Those that seek out power for the ill of man, most often bring ill upon themselves. Reflect on that."

'That's what that Ishizu woman said!' realized Carly. 'SHE DID THIS! SHE KILLED US! SHE-'

There was a final, terrible scream in stereo... Then silence. Sacred Crane faded away, and the shadow creatures retreated.

"It's over," said CV as a light appeared in the distance. It didn't take long to see it was the remaining Duel Spirits, with the spectral souls of the defeated students on Cyber Dragon's back.

"You made it!" exclaimed Hiakri.

"Of course," said Flame Swordsman. He was carrying Rex's soul, and carefully placed it by Rex's prone form. It was quickly absorbed, and Rex opened his eyes.

"W-What happened? I had the strangest dream and..." He saw the gathered spirits. "GAH!" He jumped straight up and hid behind Jay.

"Thanks for your help," said Rocket Warrior as he saluted the Squadron.

"Our pleasure," said Red as he returned the salute. The three extra Warriors faded away as Nat removed CV's cards from her disk.

"I think these belong to you," she said, handing them back to CV.

"Thanks," he said, taking them. "Are you all right?"

"This is it..." muttered Jay. "This is where the conquering hero kisses the girl."

CV moved... PAST Nat, and hugged Levia. "Ami, when I realized they were going after you... Thank goodness you're okay..."

She returned the hug, weary but relieved. "You could've been hurt..."

"I wasn't. But it was close." He kissed her on the cheek. "You've had a rough time. You should rest now. I'll carry you out of here."

She nodded, emotionally spent. He picked her up as the shadows began to dissipate, returning them to the gym.

Jay watched, stunned. "But... But it was supposed to be Nat... How... When? I... ARGH!" He didn't get it. "WHEN THE HECK DID THIS HAPPEN?!"

"New Year's," said Nat. She shrugged. "Told you nothing happened."

"I... Oh, I give up..." Jay sighed as the darkness vanished completely. The rescued souls faded away, no doubt returning to their bodies.

"Nice work," said Hikari.

"Thanks," said Jay, before realizing she was talking to CyberV.

"That was amazing. The shortest tag duel in the game's history," said Nat. "No one's ever won one so fast."

"I was there too, you know..." he said.

"So, do you have any extra Sacred Cranes?" asked Ashes, causing Jay to flop.

"OH COME ON!"

Ignoring Jay's meltdown, CV glanced at the prone bodies of Sonny and Carly. They seemed so peaceful. But he knew the awful truth. They would NEVER know peace.

* * *

Ramesus scowled as Triple Threat appeared in his hand.

"They failed. As I expected. Very well. It seems that the direct approach isn't going to work quite yet. So be it. I shall simply have to try a more subtle approach next time."

He looked at a picture of Allis. "Yes, very subtle indeed..."

* * *

In the darkness, the two lovers screamed. No one heard them.

Eventually, they stopped.

That was when their true terror began...

Next time: Strong Man's Choice! Take a Stand!


	28. StrongMan's Choice: Take a Stand!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: StrongMan and Allis, two of the unaffiliated students, have forged ties with the Good Duelists and built something of a friendship. Allis and Ikke have also begun to see each other. A longtime friendship between Void and McMike was damaged when they each chose different sides in the coming conflict. CyberV recently revealed that over the holidays, he began dating a fellow student named Ami, much to Jay's surprise. Having lost four of his lieutenants to the Good Duelists, Ramesus has now decided to pursue a new plan of action, one centering around Allis.

* * *

"So, who's side are you on?" StrongMan sighed as Tapkar asked him the question he'd been asked a hundred times in the last week again.

"I don't take sides," said StrongMan. "It's not my nature."

"But you HAVE to," urged Tapkar. "Almost everyone in the school is by now, and the ones that haven't are all waiting on you to decide."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow at that. "Why is that?"

"Because you're one of the strongest duelists in the school. Face it, people look up to you."

"I'm very tall. Almost EVERYONE has to look up to me."

Tapkar sweatdropped. "SO not what I meant."

Sitting at a table in the cafeteria, StrongMan was no less intimidating physically than he was when standing. Not just tall, but wide as well, he seemed to some of the smaller duelists to be a mountain of a man. He inwardly sighed. He didn't want to lead, especially not through intimidation, albeit unintentional.

As he sipped his drink, he thought about what Tapkar was saying. "You need to tell them to just follow their instincts."

"They want to follow YOUR instincts."

"Any particular reason?"

"Think about who the Good Duelists are resting their hopes on..."

StrongMan looked to his left, where CyberV was lining up a bowling ball. Without hesitation, he let it fly down the cafeteria where, at the other end, it smacked into 10 megaphones with a resounding crash.

"STEEEEEERIKE!"

StrongMan blinked. "I see what you mean." It still boggled his mind that the goofy rookie duelist who reportedly had never won a duel before coming to the Academy was somehow destined to save the world from darkness. True, he'd shown remarkable improvement, and had even supposedly dealt with several shadow games... But it was still hard to swallow.

"Well?"

StrongMan considered for a moment. "I guess I stay true to myself. I won't join Evil, that's for certain. But I can't really say I'd join Good, either. All I can really do is follow my instincts and my heart when the time comes... Assuming it ever does."

"What do you mean?"

"It means..." he said, taking another sip. "That I pray every day I never have to take a hand in this fiasco."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 28: StrongMan's Choice! Take a Stand!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Ramesus

* * *

Ami closed one eye as she sized up the right angle to launch the ball at the megaphones.

"Okay... GO!" She let the bowling ball loose with all her strength... and watched in dismay as she barely nicked the one on the back right. Instead, she winced comically as the ball kept going, right out the door and into the hallway. Out of sight in seconds, they heard a loud crash.

"So... run?" she asked.

"Run." said CV.

They ran.

* * *

After about five minutes and two floors, they stopped running and started laughing.

"We'll probably have to replace that, you know..."

"Maybe..." He chuckled. "But it's not the last time that door got a makeover. I think we'll survive."

"So why did we run?"

"Because you suggested it and it sounded like fun." He grinned. It had been three months since they'd met on New Year's.

* * *

The past...

He'd been sitting on the roof of the school, watching the fireworks display from a distance. She'd had the same idea, having come back to the Academy early to catch up on assignments.

It didn't take long to get talking to pass the time. And in this blue-haired beauty he'd found something of a kindred spirit, someone who usually just enjoyed life and lived for the moment, something he'd done frequently since his arrival here. He'd learned a lot about her quickly. She was a duelist specializing in water monsters, half of a tag team with Rex, a childhood friend who worked with warriors. They'd dueled together for years and most of the time were practically joined at the hip. But Rex didn't have any assignments to finish up and she did, so she'd come back solo.

Still, even being basically alone to start the new year didn't seem to dampen her spirits any. And her cheerfulness was contagious. Despite how worried CV was for his friends, he couldn't help but smile with her around.

"It must be lonely," she said suddenly.

"Hmm?" He was confused by her sudden change of topic.

"Being this 'Warrior' everyone's talking about."

"Yeah, it can be..." he admitted. "It's been a long time since I didn't feel the pressure they're putting on me to save the world or something like that."

"Is that why you act like such a goofball?"

He flopped. She giggled.

"Sorry..."

He sat up. "No, it's okay... I guess on some level, I'm just channeling the stress. It DOES help that Ikke's a jerk..."

"True... You didn't REALLY put superglue on the handle of one, did you?"

"No. That would have allowed him to use one ALL THE TIME." He shuddered. "I can't imagine anything scarier."

She nodded. "So, it's all true? The rumors in the school?"

"No, Ikke and Drift didn't really kiss."

"Not that! I mean... You're gonna save the world?"

"I'm gonna try. It's just..." He hesitated. "It's just that when it comes down to it, I'm gonna have to do it alone. The others... They've all got so much talent. Way more than me, I openly admit. But because I'm the one with these weird powers, it falls on me to stop Ramesus, and nothing my friends do can change that. They may think they're with me all the way, but in the end, I'm alone."

"Thanks a lot!" said Rocket Warrior, appearing in a huff.

'NOT WHAT I MEANT!' thought CV.

"...Oh. Right..." Rocket Warrior "sat" on the roof, watching them.

"Is that why you stayed here for the holidays?"

"Sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... Let's just say I don't get along with my family and leave it at that."

"I think I understand." she said. "But you're wrong. You're not alone. Everyone who isn't a total psycho is with you. They may think you're a total space case..." CV sweatdropped. "But you're not alone. Friendship keeps a person strong, so it doesn't matter if they can't really fight alongside you when the time comes, right? No matter what they'll be with you."

CV closed his eyes, mulling that over. "But what if it's not enough?"

"Then maybe you just need another friend," she responded with a smile.

He finally smiled at that. "Thanks, Levia."

"Call me Ami."

"Okay. Ami... Wait... Blue hair, water specialist, named Ami..." He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not Sailor Mercury in disguise?"

She cocked an eyebrow of her own. "Like you're one to talk. I've heard about you and the Jimmy Kudo costume." She snickered, trying to imagine it. She suddenly leaned against him. "I have GOT to see that sometime."

CV blushed. "I... I only use it for special occasions."

She snickered. "Would it help if I told you my hair's only been blue since Halloween?"

"...You mean..."

"Yep. And I make it look good."

"I get the feeling we both need serious therapy..."

"Maybe..."

"FOR GOD'S SAKE! KISS HER ALREADY!" yelled Rocket Warrior.

"CUT IT OUT!" yelled CV, startling Ami.

"Well I never!" she started.

"NONONO! It was-"

"Your duel spirit?" she asked, winking. "I figured as much. I just had to mess with you."

CV's eye twitched. "It worked...

"And I think I know what it's saying too... So, why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?"

"Kiss the girl?"

Suffice to say, the fireworks continued long after midnight.

* * *

"So," asked Ami. "How much longer do you think it'll be before... well, you know..."

"Before I have to face Ramesus?"

"No. Before they figure out where we went."

CV gave that some thought. "We'd better keep moving a little longer."

* * *

"I should probably go..." said Allis. "I've got to study for the fusion exam next week."

Holding her closely, Ikke nodded. "Okay... But you'll do just fine. You have an excellent tutor, after all."

Allis smiled at that. "Yeah. A real prince of a guy."

"Oh lord," muttered Rex as he walked by. "Do you mind? Some of us just ate."

Standing nearby, Ashes and Jay couldn't help but snicker. Ever since they'd danced at Halloween, Ikke and Allis had been nearly inseparable. On the plus side, it made Ikke a LOT easier to tolerate.

On the downside, they were so lovey dovey that it nauseated anyone around them. Rex, who'd just joined good a few weeks back with Ami in the aftermath of Sonny and Carly's rampage, was just the latest to take a well deserved potshot at the whole thing.

"You're just jealous," said both Allis and Ikke simultaneously.

"If this keeps up," noted Jay, "we'll need surgery to separate them."

"It's weird..." muttered Ashes. "He didn't even notice the bowling stunt. Or our inventive new use for wet cement last week." She wiped a mock tear. "I almost... miss the old Ikke."

"Bite your tongue..." said Jay.

"I don't get it," said Rex. "From all the horror stories I've been told, I thought this Ikke guy was supposed to be a domineering sociopath with a side of megalomania."

"Also called a Kaiba," inserted Hikari as she came up behind them.

"I HEARD THAT!" yelled Mokuba in the distance.

"But back to the point..." muttered Jay. "He usually is. I guess having someone around that doesn't hate his guts is mellowing him out."

"Who'd've thought that when we forced Allis to relax and come out of her shell, she'd wind up taking down our most hated foe?" Ashes was astonished. In five months, Allis had done what countless attempts at ego deflation had failed to accomplish... stopping the vast majority of Ikke's... Ikkeness.

"No accounting for taste..." sighed Hikari. Then again, who was she to judge? The only two guys that had shown a real interest in her were a supervillainous stalker and a psychotic magician the dork had convinced to watch her back.

"Well, I'd better get going then..." said Allis as she broke the embrace. Ikke watched as she walked off.

"You know, maybe it's time she reapplied to join our team."

Hikari blinked. "I thought you practically spit on her the last time."

"People change." said Ikke. "She is a good person, and she deserves another chance."

Ashes felt his forehead. "Hmmm... He doesn't FEEL like he has a fever..."

"Not amusing," said Ikke.

"So... Does your new philosophy extend to our resident dork?" Hikari smirked.

"...No." said Ikke, before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Knew it was too good to be true..." she sighed.

* * *

Allis rushed down the hall. She desperately needed to act the fusion exam if she was going to stay above a 3.0 for the year.

She was about to reach the dorm area when suddenly two boys stepped in front of her.

"Afternoon," said one she didn't recognize. "You're Allis, right?"

"Yes, and if you'll excuse me I have a test to study for..." She tried moving around them, only for the second to block her path. "Excuse me, but I really have to go."

"Afraid I can't do that just yet," said the second, snickering.

Allis looked into their eyes, and felt fear, something she hadn't felt in a while. She didn't like the feeling. Not one bit. She took an involuntary step back.

"Wh-what do you want?"

"They work for me," said a familiar voice from behind her. Allis turned to see Ramesus blocking the way she had just come. "They are called Shadow and Fury, and while they may not look like it, they are two of my more promising team members, yes..."

Allis dropped her bag and reached towards her deck holster.

"Oh come now..." said Ramesus. "I have better things to do than waste two minutes dueling you. You see, my dear, I believe we have some business to attend to."

"Business?" She didn't understand.

"Gentlemen, take her, but do not harm yet... YET."

Allis started to scream before Fury's hand covered her mouth.

"Hands off," said an unexpected voice, as a large form moved past Ramesus and grabbed Fury, yanking him away from Allis. Shadow wisely backed away.

"PUT ME DOWN!" yelled Fury, glaring at the one that had just interfered.

StrongMan smirked. "Okay." He tossed Fury right into Shadow, knocking both Evil Duelists over. He turned to glare at Ramesus.

"Ah, StrongMan," said Ramesus. "And to what do I owe the honor?"

"I was going to go to the library to study in peace, but I heard a scream. This is low, even for you." He glanced at Allis. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"Will you now?" asked Ramesus. "I wonder..." He snapped his fingers, and rings of shadow energy surrounded all five present. "These shadow rings will keep anyone from seeing or hearing us until my business is settled. But tell me, my dear man, what possesses you to confront me like this? I thought you were intent on remaining neutral."

"I am neutral. I'd never join evil because it disgusts me. I wouldn't join good because I figured someone had to watch out for any students falling through the cracks in your stupid conflict."

He glared at Ramesus in a manner most baleful. "Like now. You want Allis, you have to go through me to do it."

Ramesus grinned. "Excellent. A duel it is then. But not just any duel, but a SHADOW GAME. If you win, Allis goes free and, as a bonus, I will surrender my shadow powers and put a stop to the war before it even begins."

"And if I lose?"

"If you lose, not only do I keep the girl... but I gain possession of your very soul."

StrongMan looked at him. "You're insane."

"So I'm told. Fury, Shadow, watch her, but do not harm her. We wouldn't want to... upset the gentleman, after all."

"Of course not," said Fury.

"Whatever you say, boss," added Shadow.

Ramesus extended his duel disk to play mode. "Shall we begin?"

"Count on it," said StrongMan, extending his own disk.

"DUEL!"

Ramesus: 8000

StrongMan: 8000

"I believe I should begin our little dance of doom," said Ramesus as he drew. "And since this is your first shadow game, I'll start slowly. One monster facedown, and a little something extra for later." Two holocards appeared, one behind the other. "That's all."

"My move!" StrongMan drew. "I summon Gemini Elf in attack mode!" He placed the card into a monster zone, and two beautiful elves appeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"Now attack his facedown monster with Gemini Kick!" The two Elves sprinted forward and leapt, performing perfect thrust kicks to the facedown card, only to be repelled. Returning to his side, Ramesus' monster revealed itself.

It was a nasty looking creature, not unlike the angel of death itself. It had obviously used it's immense sickle to bat the elves away. Even now, it crouched down in defense mode.

Spirit Reaper: 300/200

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ramesus. "I forgot to introduce you to Spirit Reaper. He's not much of an attacker, but one of the perks he has is that he's completely incapable of being destroyed by attacks." He smirked. "Nice try though."

"You hide behind death itself, it seems," muttered StrongMan. "Fine. One card facedown, and that ends my turn." A card appeared on the field.

"Excellent. My turn to give it a go then?" Ramesus drew. "Two cards facedown, and another monster in defense mode. Just for kicks." Three cards appeared. Then he chuckled. "So tell me, what good is all your strength if you can't lay a hand on me?"

StrongMan growled. "Trust me, I WILL, and when I do..."

"Temper temper..." admonished Ramesus, wagging a finger. "Really, it's quite unbecoming of you."

"Please, be careful," said Allis. "He's out of his mind."

"Yes, do listen to the dear girl," said Ramesus. "After all, everyone should be able to hear a friend before they expire..."

* * *

"I think we'll be safe in here," said CV as he and Ami entered one of the duel arenas... And immediately paused, seeing Nat trading blows with a purple-haired girl they'd seen around campus.

"Hey guys," said Nat. "Just a minute." She ducked under a swung arm, but completely missed the girl squatting and thrusting her leg out. Nat tripped and hit the floor.

"My point," said the girl as she offered a hand to Nat. "And that's game."

Nat accepted the help getting up.

"Who is that?" asked Ami.

"My sister," said Void from the stands. "She goes by the name Kuno, most of the time."

"Madame..." CV bowed respectfully. "So, you're new here?"

"My brother insists I fly under the radar," sighed Kuno. "Three months, and he still won't let me apply for your little club."

"Our parents had to go out of the country for a while," explained Void. "They didn't want Kuno to miss out on the rest of the year's schoolwork, and they couldn't leave her alone, so they made a special arrangement with the dean for her to live here, at least for now."

"And as a bonus, I get to attend classes with my big brother," said Kuno, beaming.

"Well, glad you're here," said CV. "And if anyone asks, we had nothing to do with the bowling ball."

"Bowling ball?" asked Nat.

"Or the big dent," added Ami.

"Should I ask?" asked Kuno.

"No," said another voice from the stands. They turned to see McMike entering. "You probably don't want to know."

"McMike..." muttered Void.

"Now, is that any way to welcome an old friend?" asked the fellow ninja. "I mean, the three of us used to go out together on Halloween. Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes... Never COULD get your sister to wear a red wig and play Scarlet. Always had to be Jinx."

"She suits me," said Kuno. "As you well know."

"True, true..." said Mcmike. "In fact, that's why Ramesus asked me to extend an invitation to join the Evil Duelists."

"Absolutely NOT!" Void thrust his arm in front of Kuno. "She has NOTHING to do with the coming battle. Leave her out of it!"

"She's not even a duelist," added Nat. "It'd be pointless."

"Perhaps," said McMike. "But then again..." A blood red wdjat appeared on his forehead. He grinned maliciously. "Who said I cared?"

CV narrowed his eyes. This was about to get ugly.

* * *

"My turn," said StrongMan as he drew. "I sacrifice my Gemini Elf to summon the immense creature known as Great Maju Garzett!" Gemini Elf faded away as a new monster appeared, a gigantic horror of a beast. "And thanks to his special ability, his attack becomes twice that of the monster sacrificed to summon him!"

Great Maju Garzett: 3800/0

"Impressive," said Ramesus.

"And I'm not done! Now I'll equip him with two of the spell card Axe of Despair! Each one raises his attack by 1000, for a grand total of 5800!" Two axes appeared on Great Maju Garzett's hands.

Great Maju Garzett (equipped) : 5800/0

"Now I'll destroy Spirit Reaper by playing the spell Snatch Steal!" A card appeared on StrongMan's field and Spirit Reaper immediately erupted.

"What?!" Fury didn't get it. "How did he do that?!"

"Simple," said Shadow. "Reaper's secondary effect. If it's targeted by a spell or trap, it's automatically destroyed."

"Bad news for the boss then," said Fury.

"Doubt it," said Shadow.

Allis had a bad feeling Shadow was right.

"GO GREAT MAJU GARZETT! ATTACK HIS LAST DEFENSE MONSTER WITH DOUBLE DESPAIR SLASH!" Great Maju Garzett slashed twice, and Ramesus' facedown monster shattered, revealing briefly Pyramid Turtle.

"Bad move," said Ramesus. "When my Pyramid Turtle is destroyed, it lets me summon a new zombie monster from my deck, as long as it has 2000 or fewer defense points. And I choose my Ryu Kokki in defense mode!"

Ramesus' spirit snickered as it appeared on the field, ready to devour the souls of the innocent.

"At last we meet..." he said.

"It... talks?"

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"And soon, I shall do far more..." promised the spirit. It laughed, chilling both StrongMan and Allis to the bone.

"My turn then?" asked Ramesus as he drew. He looked at his hand. "I pass."

"Bad idea!" said StrongMan as he drew. "I PLAY MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" The wind began to blow. "This will destroy one spell or trap on the field, and your facedown will do nicely!" Ramesus' facedown shattered.

"Well played," he allowed. "But you're far from victory."

"That's what you think! GREAT MAJU GARZETT! SHUT DOWN HIS SKULL COVERED FREAK!"

"I'm not done with you yet," said Ryu Kokki as the Axe of Despair went through him, causing him to explode.

"That's all for now," said StrongMan.

"As you wish," said Ramesus, drawing a card. "One monster facedown, and two presents for later." Two cards appeared behind a facedown monster.

"It's over," said StrongMan. "I promise, this duel ends in the next round!"

"How right you are..." said Ramesus.

* * *

"Stay away from my sister, old friend," warned Void.

"Or what? You don't have shadow power. You can't do anything to stop me."

"No," said CV, getting between Void and McMike, "but I can."

"Stay out of this!" barked Void.

"I can't and I won't," said CV. "A friend needs help, and it's my job to see he gets it." He turned to look at Mcmike. "You wanna play with the power of shadow, play with me."

"Gladly," said McMike. "A shadow game it is then. If I win, Kuno joins Evil and I get your soul. If you win, she's free and clear..."

"And you'll play a penalty game," finished CV.

"Gladly," said McMike.

"Not again..." whispered Ami.

"Careful," said Nat. "No telling what he'll have in store for you."

"I know," said CV. "But what choice do I have?"

He glanced at Void and Kuno. He knew the answer. He didn't have any choice at all...

* * *

StrongMan drew. "Perfect! I summon Insect Knight in attack mode!" An insectoid warrior appeared, brandishing a sword.

Insect Knight: 1900/1500

"DESTROY HIS FACEDOWN WITH INSECT STAB ATTACK!" Insect Knight nodded and leapt, stabbing at the facedown monster. A woman appeared, gasped in pain, and faded away.

"My Magician of Faith. See where faith gets you, my boy?" asked Ramesus as a spell card ejected from his graveyard. "Now, thanks to her sacrifice, I get one spell back from the graveyard." He took the ejected card.

"It gets me a direct attack on you!" exclaimed Strong Man. "DIRECT ATTACK NOW!" Great Maju Garzett charged, ready to punish Ramesus.

"A foolish, brash choice. I expected better." Ramesus tapped a stud on his Duel Disk, and one of his face downs rose up. "I ACTIVATE RING OF DESTRUCTION!" A strange ring appeared around Great Maju Garzett's neck.

"NO!" exclaimed StrongMan. "If that thing goes off...!"

"It will," said Ramesus. "And when it does, we both take damage equal to his attack strength. DETONATE!" As Ramesus said it, the Ring of Destruction blew up, taking out Great Maju Garzett.

Ramesus: 2200

StrongMan: 2200

"Blast you..." muttered StrongMan. With no cards in his hand, there was nothing he could do. "I end my turn."

"That's all you can do, isn't it?" He chuckled. "What? You didn't REALLY think you were going to win, did you?" Ramesus drew. "I activate the trap Call of the Haunted!" The trap rose up. "And that lets me summon a monster from my graveyard!"

The ground cracked open, and Ryu Kokki emerged, grinning madly.

"I return, and I will feast upon your soul soon enough, stripling."

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"I'll survive this turn," said StrongMan. "Even if my Insect Knight won't."

"Oh, but it will," said Ramesus. "Thanks to a change of allegiance. I play Brain Control, the card my Magician of Faith died to resurrect." The card appeared on the field.

"Here's how it works," said Ramesus. "I pay 800 life points..."

Ramesus: 1400

StrongMan: 2200

"And then I gain control of one of your monsters until the end of the turn! So come to me Insect Knight!" A brain appeared with spectral hands. It reached out and grabbed Insect Knight, turned him around, and dragged him to Ramesus' side of the field.

"Allis..." said StrongMan, looking towards her. "Allis, I'm sorry..."

He clenched his fists. It was over and he knew it.

"Brave to the end, I see," said Ramesus. "Good for you. Won't help, but good for you. Ryu Kokki, I believe you want to have words with the gentleman... Have at it."

Ryu Kokki grinned. "Time... to DINE."

"Penalty game," said Ramesus. "VOODOO DEVOURING!" Ryu Kokki grew massive and leaned down.

"NO!" Allis moved to help StrongMan, but Fury grabbed her by the arms and held her still.

"Watch and enjoy," he said. "StrongMan goes bye-bye."

"RUN! PLEASE RUN!"

"He can't," said Ramesus. "He can only fall. This is what happens when you take a stand. End it," he said to Ryu Kokki.

"Of course..." said Ryu Kokki.

StrongMan watched as Ryu Kokki's maw opened and grew enormous.

"I'M SORRY ALLIS!" he yelled as the massive mouth closed around him and snapped shut.

Ramesus: 1400

StrongMan: 0

Ryu Kokki rose up and swallowed... then faded away, taking the rest of the field with him.

"No..." Allis felt the fight leave her as her eyes filled with tears. "No, it can't be... It just can't be..."

Ramesus walked to where Strongman had last been seen and searched the floor. "As, there you are..." He knelt down and picked up something. "Can't go around losing you, now can I?"

Item in hand, he walked over to Allis. He patted her on the head. "There there... Don't cry."

"You... You KILLED HIM! YOU MONSTER!"

"But he's not dead..." said Ramesus in a mocking tone. "He's right HERE." He opened his hand, and Allis saw a voodoo doll with StrongMan's likeness. "Right in the palm of my hand." He snickered. "Highly collectable, too." He put the doll in his pocket.

"Shadow, help Fury." Shadow nodded and took Allis by the left arm, freeing Fury up to restrain her right fully.

"StrongMan..." Allis continued to cry.

"And now, my dear... Where were we? Ah yes..." He snapped his fingers as he walked down the hall. Fury and Shadow followed, dragging her against her will towards the darkness ahead. "I believe we have some business to conduct... Very important business indeed..."

This time, no one heard Allis scream...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Ramesus: Origin of Evil! (part 1)


	29. Ramesus: Origin of Evil Part 1

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: CyberV and Ami stumbled upon Kuno, Void's sister, who was in short order targeted by McMike. CyberV intervened, and McMike challenged him to a shadow game, with Kuno's freedom and CV's soul on the line. Meanwhile, Ramesus captured Allis, and when StrongMan attempted to save her, he lost a shadow game and was transformed into a voodoo doll.

* * *

Allis watched as the world grew darker all around her. Restrained by Fury and Shadow, she had no hope of escape. Her would-be rescuer, StrongMan, had already paid the price of defying Ramesus, the psychotic leader of the Evil Duelists.

Even now, Ramesus casually tossed the doll that had once been StrongMan into the air, catching it like it was a toy.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" asked Ramesus.

Allis didn't answer, but cringed.

"I'll take that as a yes. And I don't blame you. I used to be, too. A long time ago."

"W-what do you want with me?"

"All in good time, my dear. All in good time. You see, it's been quite a while since I had... ahem... a captive audience. I rather enjoy it."

Fury snickered at that.

"Why are you doing this?" she found herself asking.

"An intelligent question, my dear. A very intelligent question." The darkness seemed to shift and began to shoot forward, creating a large corridor that Ramesus began walking down. Shadow and Fury dragged her along it as well. "And thus, you shall have your answer... Here, in my private hall of memories."

"A hall of... memories?"

"Yes, and do stop parroting me, won't you? It's tiresome. You should feel privileged, my dear, for you're about to learn the entire story... The origin of the future ruler of the world..."

And her world went white...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 29: Ramesus: Origin of Evil (Part 1)

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Ramesus

* * *

CyberV and McMike exchanged glares. Standing in the center of arena 7, the intensity between them was palpable.

Watching from the sidelines, Nat, Ami, Void, and Kuno watched as a deadly shadow game was about to be unleashed.

"Last chance to back out," said CyberV. "I won't be held responsible for what happens once it begins."

"No, you really won't," said McMike with an arrogant smirk. "And when I bag Kuno AND your soul, Ramesus'll make me his new second."

"Not happening. My Rocket Warrior deck'll take you down." CyberV extended his disk to play mode. "IT'S DUELIN' TIME!"

"Maybe," said McMike as his disk activated, "but I go first. Oh, and to make it interesting... if I destroy your Rocket Warrior, I automatically win."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Ami.

"THAT DIRTY...!" cursed Kuno.

"Surprised?" asked McMike. "It's my shadow game, and I make all the rules."

"Be careful..." whispered Nat.

"Just draw." CV narrowed his eyes.

McMike: 8000

CyberV: 8000

McMike drew. "Perfect. I summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke in attack mode!" A powerful warrior appeared on the field.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"And now I'll equip him with this: Fuhma Shuriken!" A spell card rose up, and a large shuriken appeared on Sasuke's back.

"Here's how it works," said McMike. "The Shuriken grants one ninja on my field an extra 700 attack points."

"Not exactly complicated..." muttered CV.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke (equipped) : 2500/1000

"Oh, but there's more. You'll find out later. But for now, I'll make things hard on you by playing the permanent spell Stumbling!" A second card appeared on the field. "Now all monsters have to be summoned in defense mode!"

'Not good...' thought CV. 'He's already got me completely on the defensive. With a 2500 point attacker on the field, almost anything I put out will get annihilated before I can mount a counter attack.'

"That'll do for now. But the suffering starts on my next turn."

"Fine!" CyberV drew. "Just what I needed." He smirked. "I SUMMON MY ROCKET WARRIOR IN DEFENSE MODE!" Rocket Warrior, who had been watching the duel, suddenly became visible and flew to the field, kneeling down on a holographic representation of his card, shield raised.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"You'd better have a plan," he said. "Because I do NOT like that crazy thing on the guy's back!"

"I don't like it either, buddy. But don't worry, I just drew the perfect card to buy me some time."

"Why did he summon a monster that could lose him the duel?" asked Void. "It makes no sense."

"CV and Rocket Warrior are connected," said Nat. "They trust in each other, and if anyone can get through such an unfair stipulation, they can."

CyberV placed a spell card into a back slot. It appeared on the field. "Now I'll activate a spell called Rocket Warrior Defense Squadron!"

"There's no such card!" yelled McMike.

"Oh, but there is," said Nat. "Ami and I saw it for ourselves three months ago."

"You did?" asked Kuno.

"Yes," said Ami. "Apparently it's one of a kind... made by Pegasus himself."

"How on earth did he get a unique card?" asked Void.

"Long story," said Nat.

"I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it," said CV. "Since it's the only one made. In fact, I should probably warn you that my decks have all been upgraded in the last few months, and are full of cards that NO ONE has ever heard of outside Industrial Illusions."

"That... That's a lie!"

"Believe what you will," said CV. "In any case, now my spell activates! COME ON OUT DEFENSE SQUADRON!" Three of the monster zones on the field began to glow. Suddenly, three more Rocket Warriors appeared, one blue, one yellow, and one red.

"ROCKET WARRIOR RED!"

"ROCKET WARRIOR BLUE!"

"ROCKET WARRIOR YELLOW!"

"...I am NOT shouting my name, you guys..." Rocket Warrior sighed. "At least they aren't posing..."

All three struck poses.

"ROCKET WARRIOR DEFENSE SQUADRON!"

"...Never mind..."

The three new Rocket Warriors knelt down.

"In case you haven't figured it out, when this spell is equipped to Rocket Warrior, it automatically allows me to summon three token monsters that share his attack and defense strength." CV shrugged. "Me, I love 'em."

Rocket Warrior tokens: 1500/1300 x3

"They'll die soon enough," said McMike.

"We'll see," said CV. "Now I'll place three cards facedown and end my turn." Three holocards appeared.

"My turn then," said McMike, drawing. "I summon Marauding Captain in defense mode!" An armored soldier appeared, crouching. "And when Marauding Captain is normal summoned successfully, he lets me summon another monster with 4 stars or fewer from my hand! And I choose another Marauding Captain!" A twin to the first monster appeared.

Marauding Captain x2: 1200/400

"They also have an interesting effect. As long as Marauding Captain is on the field, you HAVE to attack him first, so even if your Squadron manages to survive this turn, you'll have an interesting time trying to attack me, since their special abilities protect each other!"

"He's right," said Nat. "A Marauding Captain Lock is like a recursive loop. They protect each other. I've heard the same thing can happen with Magician's Valkyria. Get two on the field, and they're basically immune to any attack."

"But that means...!" Ami gulped. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"Very," said Void. "Especially since my old friend still has an attack."

"What do you mean IF my Squadron survives the turn?" asked CV.

"It's simple," said McMike. "The card has a fatal flaw. It's an equip spell, which means that it's destroyed if I kill the monster using it! In other words, I annihilate Rocket Warrior, I destroy four monsters at once!"

"Is that true?" asked Kuno. "Can he really destroy four monsters in a single attack?"

"It's true," said Void. "And there's nothing CyberV can do about it."

"Here we go! Prepare to see your entire defensive line wiped out!" He grinned. "And you know why? Your Rocket Warrior's in face up defense mode, and Sasuke's special ability will destroy him!" Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke leapt into the air. "NOW ANNIHILATE THE WARRIOR OF THE BALANCE BY ATTACKING HIS DUEL SPIRIT! FUHMA SHURIKEN!"

The Grandmaster drew the gigantic shuriken and prepared to throw...

* * *

"I see another of my minions has taken it upon himself to do battle with the Warrior." Ramesus sighed as the left side of the hall of memories shifted, revealing the battle between CV and McMike. "Hmmm... Quite the predicament the Warrior's in. But no matter, my dear..." The image changed, becoming an office before Allis' startled eyes.

"After all, you're here for a very different reason."

"Where are we?"

"You are gazing upon the room where events were set into motion. It's boring, but critical to get through. Bear with me, my dear..."

The image wavered slightly, revealing a man everyone in the world recognized: Seto Kaiba. He was sitting at the desk, all business. He was, oddly, smiling slightly at the man seated before him.

"You made good time. Excellent." Kaiba was pleased, a rare enough occurrence.

"You pay me very well to be efficient, Mr. Kaiba," said the man.

"My father," said Ramesus, explaining. "He was an accountant for Kaiba many years ago. Keep that in mind, because it's going to be very important."

"Very true," said Kaiba. "And I don't like to waste time, so I'll get right to the point. My backers inside Hamon International are getting anxious. They want my final offer for their company, and they want the offer made in person."

"In person, sir?"

"Yes, and unfortunately, they're located in Cairo. I don't have time to go to Cairo right now... Which is where you come in."

"...I understand, Sir. I'll get packed right away." Ramesus' father started to get up.

"I'm not finished!" barked Kaiba.

He sat back down, wincing.

"It also comes to my attention that you haven't had a vacation in the last two years. Unacceptable. Your diligence is admirable, but you have to make time for your family as well..." Kaiba glanced at the "card" around his neck, a locket containing a picture of Mokuba. "You'll find the necessary files on my private jet at Domino International." He held up an envelope. "And here are three tickets. Take your family with you, and don't come back for a week. Understood?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Kaiba," said Ramesus' father.

"That was... weird..." said Allis, momentarily confused.

"My father had been an ally of Kaiba's during his takeover of Gozoboro Kaiba's company. He was the one that arranged a critical buyout of company stock. Seto Kaiba considered him a valuable ally, maybe even a friend. Which, I'll never know. Not that it matters," said Ramesus.

The scene shifted. Now they were on a jet flying over a vast desert.

"Shortly afterwards, we arrived in Egypt. Unfortunately, the vacation was about to become a nightmare for me."

Despite her fear, Allis couldn't help but watch as a young boy that just had to be Ramesus practiced with his deck.

"And my Ryu Kokki attacks for the win!" he exclaimed with all the enthusiasm a child should have.

His mother glanced at the card and scoffed. "Such a hideous thing. What is it about these cards that attracts children so? They'll warp your brain, young man."

"They will not!"

Allis, Shadow, and Fury all paused and looked at Ramesus. He shrugged.

"What can I say? A mother knows these things."

"Don't sass your mother, son."

"But Dad..."

"Henry, I know Mr. Kaiba's involved with these... things... It's really not helping."

"My association with Seto Kaiba has no influence on our son's love of Duel Monsters at all."

"The man flies a jet that looks like a dragon."

"Well, certainly that's not the BEST example..."

"Uh huh..." Ramesus' mother was obviously not impressed by the response. "And of all the cards he could use, ZOMBIES? They'll give him nightmares!"

"He spends one night talking in his sleep about wanting to eat brains..."

There was another pause. Ramesus shrugged again.

"So I did a little rewrite on the dialogue. Sue me. This part was boring."

"Well, we did try designing a different deck for him..."

"Watapon's so BORING..." whined Ramesus. "And Marshmallon can't do anything good. That deck was for little kids."

"Yugi Mutou uses both those cards, mister."

"This," said Ramesus' mother, "is steering towards that old saying about everybody jumping off a cliff."

"It was at that minute," said Ramesus, "that we got to experience that saying first hand."

A muffled explosion was heard, and suddenly, the entire cabin jerked violently. The pilot's voice came in over the P.A.

"Strap yourselves in, folks. Looks like a flock of birds flew right into our turbines! We're going to have to make an emergency landing!"

"All I remember of the next five minutes was screaming, falling, and the dread that comes with imminent death." The scene went black.

Ramesus smirked. "Not unlike how the Warrior must feel at this moment. Shall we take a break to watch? Yes, I think so."

The wall shifted again, returning to the duel.

* * *

"If that attack goes through," realized Nat, "it's all over!"

"That's right!" exclaimed McMike. "END IT NOW!"

"Not quite," said CV with a smirk. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! GO SHADOW SPELL!" The middle facedown card rose up, and chains shot out of the ground, wrapping around Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke.

"NO! MY ATTACK!"

"Your attack has been cancelled," said CV. "Shadow Spell's seen to that. Now your monster can't attack, or change it's battle position. AND, as a bonus, it removes every single extra attack point the Fuhma Shuriken gave him."

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke (equipped) :2500/1000 -700 1800/1000

"WHEW!" Rocket Warrior breathed a sigh of relief. "WAY too close."

"But... How..." McMike glared at CyberV. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!"

"You want an answer? It's simple... For a ninja, you're incredibly obvious."

McMike glared at him.

"Shall I go on? I think so, since you're obviously dim. The second you summoned your Sasuke, your plan was obvious. You think I've just been doing classes all year? I've practically had half the team forcing me to brush up on strategies the Evil Duelists are likely to use. With a ninja deck, there's only so much to expect. Sasuke's ability, combined with Stumbling and your decree about Rocket Warrior, made the plan transparent as glass. Force me to only summon in defense mode for the entire duel, wipe out any monsters with Sasuke or other creatures with similar removal effects, and wait for a Rocket Warrior to hit the field out of desperation."

CV smirked. "A soft lock, coupled with a barrier created by your Marauding Captains, just in case I managed to get a monster to survive long enough to go to attack mode. It's genius, as long as your opponent doesn't expect it. I have to say, I'm disappointed. I thought ninjas were SNEAKY."

Void smirked at that. "Looks like he DID pay attention. Miracles happen, I suppose."

"Huh," said Nat. "Haven't seen him pull a Kudo for a while."

"He just needs a bowtie..." said Ami, enthralled.

"Grow up..." sighed Kuno.

"Besides," said Nat. "He DOES have one."

Kuno gave her a look. "PLEASE tell me you're kidding."

"She's not..." said Void, chuckling.

"Oh lord, THIS is who I rely on for my freedom?"

Mcmike growled. "Just because you got a lucky draw, doesn't make me believe you were ready for my strategy." He looked at his hand. "Two cards facedown and that ends my turn." Two holocards appeared.

"Good," said CV, drawing.

"Yes, it's very good," said McMike. "REVEAL DUST TORNADO!" One of the cards he'd just set rose up, and a fierce wind began to blow. "Dust Tornado can destroy one spell or trap on the field, and I'll use it to free my Grandmaster! Destroy Shadow Spell!" The vortex formed and shattered the chains, freeing Sasuke, who returned to McMike's side.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke (equipped) :2500/1000

"I'll see your trap and raise you one," said CV. He tapped a button on his disk, and one of his face downs rose up. "An old favorite: BAD REACTION TO SIMOCHI!" CV grinned.

"It's been a while since I used this card, so let me explain. As long as Simochi's active on the field, any effect that would raise your life points will take them away instead. Effects like my Upstart Goblin spell card!" He placed it into a slot. "Now I can draw one card. Now, normally, you'd gain a thousand life points, but with Simochi on the field..." The card glowed. "It takes them away instead!"

A dark aura surrounded Mcmike as CV drew his card.

McMike: 7000

CyberV: 8000

"And look," said CV, glancing at his card. "I drew Pot of Greed! Two more cards for my hand!" He drew twice more.

"Oh, look at the goodies!" said CV in a voice not unlike the Joker. "Just what I need to get rid of Stumbling!" He held it up. "MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON! Perfect for those duels where you just gotta destroy that one pesky spell card on the field. And I think I'll do that. DESTROY STUMBLING NOW!" Another vortex appeared, shattering Stumbling.

"Blast it..." McMike grit his teeth. Without Stumbling, his soft lock would fall apart.

"Now I'll switch Rocket Warrior to attack mode." Rocket Warrior stood up.

"Finally, I get to stretch my legs!"

"You'll be doing a lot more in a minute, buddy."

"No, he won't," said McMike. "With two Marauding Captains on the field, you can't attack me!"

"Well, that's not exactly true," said CV. "But first things first. Rocket Warrior Yellow, right now, I'm afraid I need a heavier hitter."

"No problem. I go for the greater good!" He saluted.

"Now I'll sacrifice Yellow to bring out a mighty machine called Needle Burrower!" Yellow faded away as a new monster took the field, a mechanical scorpion.

Needle Burrower: 1700/1700

"Summon all you like," said McMike. "I told you it's useless!"

"Not really," said CV. "See, Marauding Captain's effect only works on warrior monsters. Which means it's a good thing I drew this! REVEAL DNA SURGERY!" CV's final facedown rose up.

"Brilliant," muttered Nat.

"DNA surgery's generally regarded as a pretty weak trap, but in cases like this, it's the best defense. You see, now that it's on the field, I can change the type of all monsters on the field. What say we go machine, eh?" As CyberV said it, all of McMike's monsters transformed into mechanical versions of themselves. CV's own monsters, either already machines, or mechanical warriors, remained largely the same in appearance.

"NO!" McMike was horrified. "YOU CAN'T!"

"I can," said CV. "NEEDLE BURROWER! ATTACK HIS FIRST MARAUDING CAPTAIN WITH RAZOR TAIL!" A blade covered tail lashed out and sliced the mechanical Marauding Captain in half. It exploded.

"And now his special ability activates," said CV. "For every star on the Captain's card, you lose 500 life points! He had three, so say goodbye to 1500!"

Needle Burrower reached out with it's claw and grabbed McMike for a minute.

McMike: 5500

CyberV: 8000

"But, you know, I deal with machines enough as it is, so I'll get rid of DNA Surgery with the spell Emergency Provisions!" CV held up the card. "Now I can sacrifice a card on the field, like my DNA Surgery, and gain 1000 life points! Not that I really need them..." DNA Surgery faded away.

McMike: 5500

CyberV: 9000

"Then why?"

"Well, aside from needing the room on my disk," said CV as the monsters on the field returned to normal, "I couldn't very well equip Rocket Warrior with the next card if he wasn't a warrior. GO BALLISTA OF RAMPART SMASHING!" He activated the card, and Rocket Warrior's sword was replaced by a massive club. "The Ballista increases the attack of one warrior monster by 1500 points."

Rocket Warrior (equipped) : 3000/1300

"And for kicks, I'll add Big Bang Shot! It adds another 400 points and transfers any excess damage done to defense monsters directly to your life points."

Rocket Warrior (equipped) : 3400/1300

"Oh, THIS is gonna hurt..." Void winced.

"ROCKET WARRIOR, DESTROY MARAUDING CAPTAIN WITH BIG BANG BALLISTA BASH!"

"With pleasure!" Rocket Warrior blasted forward and slammed the Ballista into the Captain's chin, knocking him backwards and shattering him.

McMike: 2500

CV: 9000

"That ends my turn," said CV.

Rocket Warrior (equipped) 3400/1300 -1500 1900/1300

"He's winning," said Kuno.

"Not yet," said Ami. "McMike still has that facedown. No telling what it might be."

"Don't worry, Kuno," said McMike. "It'll all be over in a few minutes. You'll see."

Kuno couldn't help but agree.

* * *

"Hmmm... Looks like McMike isn't doing so well." Ramesus shrugged. "That's what happens to minions that get ambitious and act without approval."

"Don't you care about anyone?!" demanded Allis.

Ramesus pondered that for a minute. "No." He laughed. "It's actually quite liberating. I mean, look at poor StrongMan. He cared, and look what happened to him!" Ramesus pulled out the voodoo doll. "Although, in retrospect, maybe I should make him a talking doll instead." The doll glowed and changed, becoming larger. Ramesus pulled a string on it's back.

"YOU SICK DEMENTED FREAK JOB! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'LL-" The voice cut out before the phrase could finish.

"Hmmm... I don't see this toy doing well on the market, do you?"

Allis glared at him while Shadow and Fury chuckled.

"Alas, that is neither here nor there..." He casually tossed the doll to Fury, who casually pulled the string.

"WHEN I GET OUTTA THIS, I'M GONNA RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE AND BEAT YOU TO-"

"I think he needs a longer string, boss."

"Agreed. A detail for later, I suppose. In any case, it's time to return to the narrative."

The image shifted to show the remains of the jet, lying broken in the desert.

"When I awoke, I was alone... The pilots and my parents... None survived. How I managed to make it through the crash I'll never really know. All I do know is that all of a sudden, everyone I ever loved had left me all alone in a strange place. I was terrified. I had never been alone before. I had no concept of how to survive. A child with a Duel Monsters deck wouldn't last long at all.

"How much time passed... I can only guess. My vision was blurring and my strength fading by the time the nomads found me. They carried me back to their camp, gave me water and food... I could not understand their language; I communicated largely through trial and error.

"I came to know their leader's name to be Busiris. Whatever else he attempted to tell me was lost... Until the moment I recognized that many of them bore the same symbol upon themselves that Yugi Mutou wore around his neck. A strange golden eye. They called it the Wdjat, and it was obviously a symbol of power... Even as a child, I was not stupid.

"But for some reason, Busiris always kept me from touching any of the Wdjats. I could not figure out why. And, of course, being a child, curiosity becomes a mandate, regardless of the consequences.

"I waited until the 10th day after the crash. As night fell, I snuck through the camp, searching for a Wdjat. I found one on a makeshift table that Phinehas, Busiris' son, had constructed."

Allis watched as young Ramesus hesitated, fearful but excited all the same.

"I reached for it... and it seemed to pulse, like a thing alive."

Allis could see it now. "What in the world...?"

"But I gathered all the courage that I could, and I grabbed it. All at once, the world was filled with a golden light that could not be dampened.

"For 30 seconds, I thought I had died. Then the light faded, and I was again in the camp, and there were voices. Many startled voices coming towards me. I had heard tales of desert pirates and the like. Despite my time among Busiris' people, I was afraid. I turned to start to run... Only to find his strongest follower, Oba, blocking my path.

"You have made a grave mistake. Your last."

"I had never heard any of them speak english before. That scared me even more than the light. I suppose that's why I never realized that Oba grabbed me by the neck and touched a pressure point, knocking me unconscious."

The scene went black, then shifted, changing to a strange stone room with torches.

"I soon found myself inside what I would soon discover to be an ancient pyramid, lost to the sands of Egypt. As I looked around, I could see only one exit, and it was blocked by a massive door.

"Then, I heard, Oba's voice."

"Child, you have tampered with powers beyond your ken. Atonement must be reached. If you pass this test, you shall live and become one of us, the Scarab. If you fail, your soul will be lost for all eternity."

Allis watched as slots opened along the walls, and dozens of scarabs began to enter the room, crawling everywhere.

"The test is simple, boy. Find the Scarab with the Wdjat you touched, and place the wdjat into the proper slot on the door... Before they devour you."

"I backed up, terrified. I looked at the scarabs... EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE had a Wdjat on it's back! It was impossible!"

"You should feel honored. You may be the youngest human to ever play a shadow game... GAME... START!"

Allis watched as the scarabs came towards Young Ramesus. He screamed in terror...

"Don't look away," said Ramesus. "The best part is yet to come."

* * *

"I'm not finished yet!" yelled McMike as he drew. "I'll start by revealing my trap card! NINJITSU ART OF TRANSFORMATION!" The card rose up and glowed. "Since you've made Grandmaster's effect basically worthless, I might as well trade him in for a stronger creature! With this card, I can replace him with a beast monster three levels higher! A MIGHTY BEAST LIKE BIG KOALA!"

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke glowed and grew, transforming into the biggest koala the planet had ever seen.

Big Koala: 2700/2000

"And that's not all," said McMike. "Now that he's in my graveyard, the second effect of Fuhma Shuriken activates! IT TAKES 700 OF YOUR LIFE POINTS!"

The shuriken flew through the air and went right through CV's shoulder.

"ARGH!" CV staggered.

McMike: 2500

CyberV: 8300

"Not so bad..." said CV. "Got an itch I'd been meaning to scratch."

"Cute," muttered McMike. "Now, since that was a special summon, I can still set a monster, like this one." He set a monster card facedown. It appeared on the field.

"Now, Big Koala! Destroy his Needle Burrower with Australian Body Slam!" Big Koala rose up on it's hind legs and stomped forward. CV could only watch as it leapt and flopped on top of Needle Burrower, which erupted.

McMike: 2500

CV: 7300

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn," said McMike as a card appeared.

"Come on..." said Ami. "One good attack and Mcmike's finished!"

"He has to be careful," said Void. "Those face downs could be anything, and if he loses his Rocket Warrior, he loses the duel."

"Better make that draw a good one..." muttered Nat.

CyberV drew. "I was wondering when you'd show up..." he said to the card. He glanced up at McMike. "Sorry, McMike, but this duel is just about over." He slammed his final card into a monster slot. "I SUMMON MY NEWEST MONSTER: SNIPE HUNTER! IN ATTACK MODE!" A bizarre creature with a blaster appeared.

Snipe Hunter: 1500/600

"What in the world?" Kuno was confused. "I've never seen anything like it. Look, it has a roulette wheel on it's weapon!"

"What are you up to?" demanded McMike.

"It's simple. First, I switch Rocket Warriors Blue and Red to attack mode. Then I smile and tell you that Snipe Hunter's about to win the game for me, thanks to his special ability. You see the numbers on that wheel attached to his gun? He's going to spin it, and if it comes up 1 or 6, nothing happens. However, if it's anything else, he can automatically destroy one card on your side of the field."

CV smirked. "Well, ya gotta ask yerself, punk... Do ya feel... lucky?"

Snipe Hunter spun the wheel.

"It's all in the hands of destiny now," said Nat.

"He's got a 2 in 3 chance of winning," said Kuno. She looked at Void. "If McMike loses, are we really going to let this CyberV harm him?"

"It's the rules," said Void, resigned. "McMike's done all this to himself. If he loses, it's his own fault."

"I... see..."

The wheel slowed... and stopped.

"It's a FOUR!" announced CyberV. "And that means he does his thing! SNIPE HUNTER! ATTACK HIS FACEDOWN SPELL WITH EFFECT SNIPE!" Snipe Hunter took careful aim and fired, his blast puncturing the facedown card, which rose up to reveal Call of the Haunted, which shattered.

"Blast it..." muttered McMike.

"Now I activate the special abilities of Blue and Red! By sacrificing them, they'll each take 500 attack points away from Big Koala!"

"Later!" said Red.

"Finish it," added Blue.

As they faded away, Big Koala glowed.

Big Koala: 2700/2000 -1000 1700

"Now it's time to end this!" said CV. "ROCKET WARRIOR! DESTROY BIG KOALA NOW!"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Rocket Warrior launched into the air and slammed into Big Koala, shattering the gigantic beast utterly.

McMike: 2300

CyberV: 7300

"Now everything depends on what this facedown monster is," said CV. "If it's a removal monster, I lose. If it isn't, I win." He looked at McMike, squarely in the eyes. "And I don't think you're lucky enough to pull that off. SNIPE HUNTER! ATTACK HIS DEFENSE MONSTER!"

Snipe Hunter took careful aim and fired through the card.

There was a collective held breath... until Magician of Faith appeared and shattered.

"YES!" Ami cheered. "It's almost over!"

Mcmike cursed under his breath as he chose Stumbling from his graveyard. It was useless now. The girl was right. It was over. He only had one ace left up his sleeve.

"I DRAW!" McMike looked at his card. "NO! NOT NOW!" He gaped at the card and fell to his knees. He dropped his card, which revealed itself to be Roc from the Valley of Haze. "I... I can't summon him... I don't have anything to sacrifice..." He looked at Stumbling, which was absolutely worthless to him. "I... Pass..."

"It's over, McMike." said CV as he drew. "You lose. ROCKET WARRIOR! SNIPE HUNTER! FINISH IT!" Snipe Hunter took aim again, directly at McMike. Rocket Warrior readied the Ballista.

Which was when Nat suddenly tackled him, knocking both of them to the ground.

"What the?! Nat, why'd you do that?!" CV rubbed his rear as they got up.

"THAT'S why," she said, pointing to where CV had been a moment before. Several kunai stuck in the arena floor. If she hadn't tackled him, he would have been killed.

"But... How...? Who?" Ami and Void turned slowly towards Kuno, who chuckled.

"And I was so close, too..." She darted forward, leaping into the air, flipping, and landing between the Good Duelists and McMike.

"KUNO!" yelled Void. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"My job," she said with a smile. "You see, big brother, I was never in any danger. I joined Ramesus MONTHS AGO." She glared at Nat. "And if she hadn't noticed the glare of my kunai, that would have been the end of the Warrior."

She turned to face CV. "And now it's MY turn, Warrior of the Balance. You don't know my deck. You don't know my skills." A blood red wdjat appeared on her forehead.

"Kuno... Don't..." Void heard himself begging.

"And if you thought ONE ninja was trouble... NOW YOU HAVE TWO!"

CV glared at the traitorous girl. "It's gonna be one of those days..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Origin Continued: Rise of a Villain (Part 2)


	30. Rise of a Villain Part 2

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ramesus captured Allis and transformed StrongMan into a doll as part of a larger plan yet to be revealed. He paused in his scheme to reveal his origin to her. He revealed that his parents died in a plane crash, and he was taken in by strange nomads with some connection to the Wdjat symbol on the Millennium Items. Eventually, his curiosity landed him in the middle of a deadly shadow game!

Meanwhile, McMike challenged CV to a shadow game for his soul and the freedom of Void's sister, Kuno. CyberV was two attacks from winning the duel when Kuno suddenly attempted to kill him! To her brother's shock, Kuno had already joined Ramesus, and she was ready to pick up where McMike was leaving off!

* * *

CyberV glared at Kuno, who now stood between his monsters and the defeated McMike.

McMike: 2300

CyberV: 7300

Only moments ago, she'd suddenly tried to kill him out of the blue. If Nat hadn't been there to tackle him...

Rocket Warrior: (equipped) 1900/1300

Snipe Hunter: 1500/600

"Kuno, you don't know what you're doing," he warned.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," she said. "Since McMike can't take down the mighty Warrior of the Balance, I will."

"Sister..." started Void. "Stop this right now!"

"Not a chance." She gave him a look that could have peeled paint. "You would have stood by and let your best friend be banished to the Shadow Realm? Pathetic."

"CyberV wouldn't do such a thing."

"Tell that to my predecessor Carly."

"She did that to herself," said Nat. "I was there, and there wasn't anything he could have done to stop what happened."

"He could have surrendered," she said. "That would have made a world of difference."

"Lady," muttered Rocket Warrior, "you're crazier than Carly ever was."

"And if you think you can interrupt the duel," added CV. "Think again. ROCKET WARRIOR! SNIPE HUNTER! COMBINE ATTACKS! ROCKET BLAST!"

"GOT IT!" yelled Rocket Warrior as he transformed into Invincible Mode and attached to Snipe Hunter's blaster. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Snipe Hunter pulled the trigger, and Rocket Warrior launched right at Kuno.

She braced herself for the impact... then blinked, confused, as at the last second he turns upwards and then down, impacting on McMike behind her.

"NO!" She growled.

Mcmike: 0

CyberV: 7300

"Relax," said CV as his monsters faded away. "I get the feeling nothing's gonna happen here until you get your say."

McMike stood up, basically unhurt. "Kuno? Get him."

"With pleasure..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 30: Origin Continued: Rise of a Villain (Part 2)

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, UnrighteousVoid, and Ramesus

* * *

"It's time for another shadow game," said Kuno. "The stakes are simple. If I win, McMike's penalty game is cancelled and you lose your soul."

"And if I win, it's TWO penalty games I dole out," said CV. "And I'm not using my Rocket Warrior deck. Not this time. You're too familiar with some of it's best cards to make it fair." He removed his deck from his disk as McMike handed Kuno his.

"Be careful. As he said, he's gotten dangerous upgrades. There's no telling what's in any of his decks right now."

"I don't get it..." muttered Ami. "A second ago she was good, and now..."

"It was all a trick," said Nat. "They probably planned this weeks in advance, and just waited for a chance to spring it."

"True," said McMike. "Although, to be honest, YOU were the target. Not him."

THAT got CV's attention.

"Why were you targeting Nat?"

"Those Cyber Dragons are extremely rare cards, and she has a deck full of them. Their power would have made Ramesus almost invincible. Plus, taking the soul of one of your best friends would have been oh so sweet."

Nat couldn't believe this. "My Cyber Dragons aren't going anywhere. Even if you won them in a duel, you wouldn't be able to use them properly. It takes special training to master them."

'And I would know...' she added silently, thinking back to the arduous weeks she trained under Duel Academy's Chancellor Sheppard after winning her dragons. It had only been through his tutelage that she'd awakened her full abilities with the cards, and gained the powers of Cyber Twin and Cyber End Dragons. True, Zane Trusdale had been chosen over her to receive the full Cyber Dragon Legacy, but there was no way some upstart that had only been playing the game for three months was going to take them away from her. She'd worked too long and hard to allow them to fall into the wrong hands... And an Evil Duelist definitely qualified.

"We'll see," said Kuno. "Once I'm done with him, I'm going after you."

"Not happening," said CV. He placed his sentai deck into his disk. "And I've got a full deck of reasons why."

"It won't be enough," said Kuno. "But just to be safe... This will be a normal length duel. 4000 life points each."

"Just draw your cards," said CV.

"Gladly." She strapped on McMike's disk.

Kuno: 4000

CyberV: 4000

"IT'S DUELIN' TIME!" Each drew five cards.

"I'll go first," said Kuno, drawing a sixth card. "And I'll summon Nin-Ken Dog in attack mode!" A canine ninja appeared on the field.

Nin-Ken Dog: 1800/1000

"That's it for this turn."

"Why did she only play one card?" asked Ami. "She's practically defenseless."

"Actually, it's not a bad move," said Nat. "CV picked his sentai deck, and given the conditions on the field, unless he has one of his union cards in his hand, he's probably not gonna be able to attack this turn. And if he were to attack, he'd be leaving himself wide open."

"My turn," said CV. "And I summon X-Head Cannon in attack mode!" His trusty cannon monster appeared.

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

"Now I'll play the spell Swords of Revealing Light!" He held up a spell card, and light swords appeared on the field. "Now you can't attack for three turns."

"I know what it does," said Kuno.

"Well then, you'll understand why I won't attack your dog. I can take my time, and I'll use some of that time to play this facedown." A facedown appeared on the field.

Kuno drew a card. "Actually, I knew you wouldn't... Boys can be SO overconfident... AND MY LADY NINJA YAE WOULD KNOW!" The female ninja appeared on the field.

Lady Ninja Yae: 1100/200

"This is bad..." muttered Void.

"Why? She's weaker,"noted Nat.

"No, she's NOT." Void grimaced. "You're about to see what I mean."

"Now I'll activate Yae's special ability! I discard one wind monster from my hand!" She selected Bladefly and sent it to the graveyard. "And now all your spells and traps are returned to your hand! GO YAE! FIELD CLEARING NINJA WIND!"

"Hooboy..." CV braced himself as the powerful winds struck him hard. The Swords blew away... but his facedown rose up. "Nice. I suppose I should thank you." He removed his spell zone cards. "You just activated the trap Treasure Map! You see, when an effect that would return it to my hand is activated, I get to draw two cards, and discard one card from my hand to the graveyard." He drew two, then selected one card and sent it to the graveyard.

"Clever, but you're still wide open! Nin-Ken Dog! DESTROY X-HEAD CANNON!" The Ninja drew it's katana and threw it at X-Head Cannon, which retaliated by firing a blast of energy. The blast struck the ninja at the same instant the katana stabbed through the machine's power core. Both erupted.

"Because they had the same attack points, both are destroyed... But now you're wide open! YAE! DIRECT ATTACK!" Yae nodded and vanished. She reappeared behind CV, who turned just as she slashed him with a kunai.

"AAAAHHH!!!" CV staggered as Yae vanished again, reappearing next to Kuno.

Kuno: 4000

CyberV: 2900

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn," said Kuno as the card appeared.

"Kuno..." Void clenched his fists. There was nothing he could do to stop his sister from the dark path she'd chosen... and nothing he could do to save her if she fell.

"What's wrong, Warrior?" asked Kuno. "Feeling a bit under the weather? Well just so you know, I've barely even begun!"

* * *

Ramesus watched the duel with a benign grin on his face. "Ah, Kuno. Such a pity you revealed your secret so soon. It would have been useful to have kept your allegiance under wraps a while longer, but..." He shrugged. "No point crying over spilled milk, I suppose."

Allis glared at him, and not for the first time. The guy was completely out of his mind... Kidnaping her, playing admittedly doctored magical home movies, and playing with a representation of Strong Man's soul... There was no question that Ramesus had completely flipped his lid. But he had powers, and that made him at least fifty times more dangerous.

"She'll fail. CyberV will beat her, just like he beat McMike, Carly, and the others."

"We'll see," said Ramesus. "Although, to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised, or even disappointed, by her losing. But that is neither here nor there. Now, if I recall, there was more story to tell..." He motioned, and the duel faded away, replaced by the strange chamber, filled with scarabs, each with a wdjat upon it's back. The young Ramesus was in the midst of a horrifying shadow game, where if he failed to find the right Scarab... he would perish.

"You had best hurry, little one," taunted the voice of Oba. "My pets are getting hungry."

As if in response, the scarabs approaching Ramesus sped up. Backing away, the young boy bumped into the wall. He had nowhere to run to.

"Daddy..." he whimpered. He could feel the tears welling up inside of him.

"Your father is dead. Your mother is dead. You are alone now," said Oba. "And if you do not focus, you shall join them."

To prove the point, the scarabs finally reached Ramesus, and began climbing up his legs.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!" Panicking, he tried brushing them off. But his efforts to do so only angered the wdjat-backed insects, and they began to retaliate by biting him.

The pain was blinding, and forced him to his knees in an instant. "It... It hurts..."

"Fight the pain, child. If you are to be one of us, you must embrace the pain and focus as never before."

The scarabs now crawled all over the boy. Painful welts grew wherever they bit. Frightened, he thought of his parents, and wished that they could be there to save him.

"I... I CAN'T!" He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in a futile effort to block out the pain.

"FOCUS, BOY!" yelled Oba with an intensity that could have shook the ancient structure.

Something in that intensity forced Ramesus to snap his eyes back open. And then, he felt it. Somehow, he suddenly felt newfound courage and focus. Pulling himself up, he staggered to his feet and began walking towards the locked door with the wdjat lock.

"I... I can... do this..." Each step was agony, but he could feel this new bravery coming from just beyond the door. He didn't understand it, was too afraid to think about it; he simply followed his instincts.

He felt more bites now, and knew he was on the verge of death. With the last of his strength, he rested his hand on the wdjat on the door and prayed.

To his shock, it opened effortlessly. Lying on the other side was another scarab... with a wdjat.

"Did... it..." He collapsed, his hand brushing against the scarab as everything went black.

"Well, that was exciting, wasn't it?" asked Ramesus. "...Did either of you bring popcorn?"

Shadow and Fury shook their heads.

"Pity."

"My god..." Allis felt sick. She knew instinctively that the child was the same lunatic threatening her now, but it didn't stop her from feeling revulsion at the sight.

"Now now, my dear," said Ramesus. "Don't go getting sick now. Cleaning dimensional voids is tricky business."

The darkness wavered and shifted. A new scene was about to begin. Allis watched as it changed to show the inside of a tent. The face of Busiris suddenly loomed overhead.

"AHHH!!!" Young Ramesus sat up, screaming in terror. Busiris placed a hand on the child's bare shoulder.

"It's over, child. You succeeded. You are now one of us."

The child visibly relaxed and looked down. His wounds were all healed, gone as though they had never existed.

"But the bugs..."

"All shadow magic," said the elder. "They and your wounds existed only in your mind. By fighting past your pain, you discovered your connection to the magic of the shadow." He removed his hand from the child's shoulder and turned it over, revealing the wdjat in his palm. "This now belongs to you. It is a badge of honor. Few survive the test. Certainly never before has one so young taken it and succeeded."

Busiris smiled. "Your training begins tomorrow. Now rest. You'll need your strength."

"How come?"

"Because tomorrow, you seek the gods themselves."

The images of the past faded away.

"He always was a cryptic bastard..." The image shifted again, returning to the duel. "Oh, good! My favorite program's back! Did you two get the popcorn yet?"

Fury and Shadow exchanged confused glances.

"Oh Never mind..."

* * *

"Okay, so your deck has some kick to it..." CV drew. "Well so does mine!" He looked at his hand.

'But not enough at the moment,' he added silently. He already had Bladedge in his hand, but he didn't have a way to summon it yet. And he was short on the Vehicles as well. 'I've got to figure out a way to counter her strategy. All I can do for the moment is buy time.'

"Okay! First, I'll summon V-Tiger Jet in defense mode!" The mechanical tiger appeared and crouched.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

"Then I'll reactivate my Swords of Revealing Light!" The energy blades reappeared around Kuno's monster.

"That ends my turn."

"Pathetic. I thought you were supposed to be tough! I was told wrong!" Kuno drew. "Now I'll sacrifice Ninja Lady Yae to summon the elegant and graceful YAE-GUST NINJA!" Her monster faded away, making way for a more beautiful version, which tumbled onto the field like the most delicate of dancers.

Yae-Gust Ninja: 2000/800

"And the best part is, her special ability allows me to treat her summoning as a special summon! So now I'll summon Flying Kamakiri #1 in defense mode!" A vicious mantis appeared.

Flying Kamakiri #1: 1400/900

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A holo card appeared.

"She didn't attack..." Ami was confused.

"She couldn't," said Void. "Since Kuno didn't use her first Yae's special ability. The downside to treating Yae-Gust Ninja as a special summon is that she can't attack or use her second special ability on the turn she's played."

"Good thing for us," said Nat. "Let's just hope CV can use the break."

Ami glanced at Void. "What second ability?"

"You don't want to know."

McMike grinned. "Next turn, he goes down hard."

"My move!" CV drew. And smiled. "About time you showed up!" He held up his new card. "Get ready to face one of my best monsters, Kuno!" The card shone. "I summon W-Wing Catapult in attack mode!" The second of CV's Vehicles appeared.

W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500

"And now, they'll combine! V! W! FORM VW-TIGER CATAPULT!" The two mecha flew into the air, and V-Tiger Jet came to rest atop the Catapult.

VW-Tiger Catapult: 2000/2100

"What makes that hunk of junk so useful?" asked Kuno.

"THIS! I'll send one card to the graveyard!" He selected one card and put it in the graveyard slot. "And now your Kamakiri switches into attack mode!" The mantis creature reared up.

"Now attack her Flying Kamakiri with claw launch!" The combined mecha flew in, and the tiger fired it's claws like missiles, striking the insect and shattering it.

Kuno: 3400

CyberV: 2900

"Thanks. You just activated my bug's special ability! When he's destroyed, I can summon a wind monster with 1500 or fewer attack points from my hand! Say hello to Ninja Girl Misaki!" A young ninja appeared on Kuno's field.

Ninja Girl Misaki: 900/500

"Every time he makes a move, she's got a counter ready to go." Nat grimaced.

"And he made a big mistake by not attacking Yae," said Void.

"I hope you're wrong about that," said Nat.

"So do I," muttered Void.

"They're right. You should have attacked Yae when you had the chance!" Kuno drew. "Now I'll sacrifice my Ninja Girl and my facedown Ninjitsu Art of Transformation to summon the vicious Ninja Dog Masaru!" The facedown and the girl faded away, making way for the nastiest dog anyone had ever seen.

Ninja Dog Masaru: 2200/2200

"This is why I'm a cat person..." muttered CV.

"Now I'll discard my Princess of Tsurugi to activate Yae's ability! Say goodbye to the Swords of Revealing Light all over again!" She discarded the monster, and Yae drew her sword and swung it, shattering the blades. CV reluctantly returned the card to his hand.

"Good," muttered Void. "She didn't use the other effect."

"The name Masaru means victory," said Kuno. "Seems appropriate, all things considered.

"Then he shoulda been named V," retorted CV. "And stop infringing on my catchphrases!"

Void and Nat flopped. Ami giggled.

"Clown all you want, but this round is mine! MASARU! SIC HIS TIGER CATAPULT!" The massive dog growled and leapt, it's jaws latching onto the catapult and creating an explosion that vaporized the mecha.

Kuno: 3400

CyberV: 2700

"Now Yae! Wind Dance of Blades!" Yae began to spin and moved forward. The resulting whirlwind surrounded CyberV, and he felt random slashes from Yae's blades. Only by force of will did he keep himself from falling to his knees.

Kuno: 3400

CyberV: 700

"I believe that's enough punishment for one round," gloated Kuno.

"I'm disappointed," said McMike. "You didn't finish him off."

"One more round won't matter," said Kuno.

"One round can ALWAYS matter!" said CV as he drew.

'Playing the Swords again would just be pointless. She'd just discard a monster and destroy it. No, there's another way to face her, and I think I know what it is.'

"I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared on the field. "And I'll summon a new monster Pegasus gave me. Elemental Hero Wildheart!" A seasoned warrior appeared, crouching.

Elemental Hero Wildheart: 1500/1600

"That's it."

"So you're giving up. I thought so," said Kuno. She grinned. "I PLAY POT OF GREED! That lets me draw two cards!" She did so. "And now I'll activate Yae's final ability!" She discarded a monster card. "Not only can she destroy spells and traps, but if I wish it, she can instead destroy monsters! Your new monster is useless to you!"

"Here it comes..." muttered Void. "I was afraid of this."

Yae swung her blade, and a massive wind blew Wildheart away. The card rematerialized in CV's hand.

"And now it ends..." said Kuno.

* * *

Ramesus smiled. "Looks like the duel's just about over. Such a pity."

"He'll stop you," said Allis. "You'll see."

"Of course I see. I've watched his every duel! Thanks to my wonderful little hall of memories, I've seen all his duels, know his every card and strategy! True, the recent additions to his decks may prove troublesome, but I'm not overly worried. I've prepared for every eventuality, you naive little fool. He can't HOPE to defeat me."

Allis looked down, worried that Ramesus was right.

"But enough of this. It's time to return to the story." The image of the duel shifted to dawn in the desert. Allis could see young Ramesus being given some basic supplies and water.

"Now, like all Scarabs, you must seek the gods of legend," said Busiris. "And you shall do it through a vision quest. You must journey through the desert until you find what you seek. One of the three gods will speak to you, and become your totem. That god will guide your fate for the rest of your life, and you will serve him loyally, or pay the price. Do you understand?"

Young Ramesus nodded.

"I didn't, really," said Ramesus. "But hey, I was just a kid."

"When your quest is complete, your wdjat will guide you back. Now go... and good luck."

"And just like that, I was alone in the desert all over again," said Ramesus. "I walked through it for two days and nights, sleeping in fits and starts. My supplies quickly dwindled. In no time at all, I was out of food and water, and out of options. Eventually, on the verge of dehydration and starvation, I collapsed... And found myself somewhere else entirely.

"I awoke on a long and winding path. With no other idea what to do, I followed the trail. I soon realized that it was no ordinary trail. It hovered high over the ground, and I could see the stars clearly, even though it was the middle of the day. I continued on the path, for how long, I never knew. All I knew for the longest time was walking with no end in sight. But I didn't feel tired. I needed no food nor water.

"After what felt like an eternity, I reached the end of the trail. I looked up... and saw the head of a monestrous dragon. I fell backwards, and my hand brushed against the trail. To my horror, I realized that all this time, I had been walking on the back of SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!"

Allis gasped as the massive God loomed overhead.

"Child," said Slifer. "You shall serve me as have many before you. Do good, and you shall reap the benefits of my powers. Do harm, and my power will be used against you. Now go and seek your destiny."

"My wdjat began to glow, and the light became blinding. And then, suddenly, I found myself back in the Scarab encampment, as though I had never left. But there was a reminder of my trip."

Young Ramesus looked at his back. Like a massive tattoo, an image of Slifer was scrawled into his flesh, a reminder of his totem god.

"I still carry that mark," said Ramesus. And thus far, his warning seems a bit like an idle threat, since he's yet to smite me. Anyway, it turned out that only one Scarab per generation received the mark of Slifer, and that person was always chosen to be the Scarab representative at the Arcane Academy."

He turned away from the images. "You can guess the rest. I came here to this school, and found myself thinking that the evil side had more fun. I rose in the ranks, and eventually took over. When the Warrior was found, I saw an opportunity to create the Warrior and fulfill the prophecy... But I found so much more instead."

Ramesus chuckled. "And now my dear, we have business to attend to... Just as soon as we see how the duel turns out." The images wavered, returning to the duel.

* * *

"MASARU! ATTACK DIRECTLY AND END THE DUEL!"

The dog leapt forward. And CV smirked.

"BAD DOG! You just activated my quickplay spell card!" CV's facedown rose up. "FLUTE OF SUMMONING KURIBOH!" He chuckled. "This card allows me to either bring a Kuriboh to my hand, or a Winged Kuriboh to the field! And I choose to bring out Winged Kuriboh!" The card shone, and Winged Kuriboh appeared.

Winged Kuriboh: 300/200

Masaru growled and stopped before the Kuriboh, before swatting it with a massive paw. Winged Kuriboh exploded.

"Of course, his special ability now reduces all damage I take for the remainder of the turn to zero. Meaning you can't touch me with direct attacks."

Kuno growled audibly. "Lucky move."

"No. Skill." CV grinned that irritating grin.

"Well you won't be so lucky next time," she said. "I'll activate Masaru's special ability and equip him with the trap Ninjitsu Art of Decoy. Now he's immune to spells and traps. Furthermore, I'll now play the spell Suffocation!" As Decoy appeared on the field, so too did a spell card. "Now each turn, for every wind monster on my side of the field, you lose 200 life points!" Both Masaru and Yae glowed, and suddenly CV found himself gasping for air.

Kuno: 3400

CyberV: 300

"Next turn, it's all over."

CV drew. "Maybe... And maybe not!" He turned his new card so Kuno could see it. "And I'm guessing not, thanks to Polymerization!" The card glowed. "Now I'll combine Wildheart with Bladedge to create Elemental Hero Wildedge!" A ferocious armored warrior appeared.

Elemental Hero Wildedge: 2600/2300

"WOAH." Nat blinked. "He never had THAT before. Pegasus really DID upgrade his deck."

"My sister's in trouble now," said Void, feeling torn.

"Big deal. So you have a tougher monster. I'm not impressed."

"You will be," said CV. "Especially since he can attack all your monsters at once."

Kuno's eyes went wide. "NO!"

"Yes," said CV. "ATTACK WITH SCIMITAR SLASH!" Wildedge aimed his gauntlet at the two ninja monsters, and blades launched, slicing through both of them effortlessly. They erupted, leaving Kuno defenseless.

Kuno: 2400

CyberV: 300

"And with no monsters, I shouldn't have to worry about Suffocation next round." CV made the gesture of dusting off his hands.

"We'll see..." Kuno drew. "I summon Sasuke Samurai #4 in defense mode!" A samurai looking vaguely like Pac-man appeared.

Sasuke Samurai #4: 1200/1200

"And now I'll activate Suffocation!" The Samurai glowed, and CyberV found himself choking again.

Kuno: 2400

CyberV: 100

"If he doesn't win this round, it's over," said Ami.

"He'll win. He has to." Nat clenched her fists.

"It's a pity, isn't it?" asked McMike. "No matter what, old friend, you're the one that loses."

Void glared at McMike.

"If Kuno wins, the Warrior is finished. If he wins, we get penaltied, which probably means we go to the Shadow Realm. Like I said, you lose regardless of the outcome."

"You don't think I know what you're doing?" asked Void. "You're trying to make me choose between family and my honor. That's sick. Sick and wrong."

"Maybe. But that's the way it goes, isn't it? So, what's it gonna be? Your sister and your best friend, or the Warrior?"

"BACK OFF!" yelled Nat. "He doesn't need to take that from you."

"No, he's right," said Void. "I do have to make a choice... And there's only one to make. If CyberV falls, the world is doomed. What good is saving the two of you, if it means condemning all of mankind to suffer? For the sake of all... I choose HIM."

McMike growled softly.

"You'd turn your back on me? Your own sister?!" demanded Kuno.

"No, Kuno. It's painfully obvious that you've already done the same to me." He looked away from her and looked CyberV in the eyes. "Do what you have to."

CV nodded and drew. "VOID! THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!" He looked at his card. "I SUMMON Y-DRAGON HEAD!" The mechanical dinosaur appeared on the field.

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

"ATTACK HER SAMURAI WITH DRAGON FIRE!" Y-Dragon Head opened it's mouth and shot a blast of pure energy.

"Not so fast!" Kuno smirked. "I activate Sasuke's special ability! Now I flip a coin, and if I call it correctly, you lose your monster! And I say heads!" A coin appeared on the field and shot upwards.

All eyes were on the coin as it flipped upwards... then down... with tails facing up.

"NO!"

"Oh yes," said CV. The energy blast struck the crouching samurai vaporizing it.

"I... I'm wide open..." Kuno's eyes went wide. "IT CAN'T BE!"

"It can! WILDEDGE! DIRECT ATTACK!" The Elemental Hero nodded and walked forward, before slamming his blade right in front of Kuno, stabbing it into the ground. Shocked, she fell to her knees.

Kuno: 0

CyberV: 100

The holograms faded away.

"How... How could I lose?!"

"You lost because you didn't fight with honor," said CyberV. "And now you must pay the penalty." CV stood over here, where Wildedge had been just a moment before.

He glanced at Ami, Nat, and Void, the latter of which looked away, not wanting to see what was going to happen.

"Both of you, if I recall..." he said, glancing at McMike. "So your penalty... is to live with the knowledge that you've sacrificed the love of someone who held you dear, and for nothing. Your brother... Your friend... He is a good man, and you dishonor him with your actions. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

Shocked, it took McMike a moment to realize he wasn't going to lose his soul. He slowly moved to help an equally stunned Kuno to her feet.

"This... is far from over."

"I know," said CV. "It's only just begun."

He watched the two Evil Duelists go. When they were gone, Void walked up to him.

"Thank you. For not hurting them, I mean."

"Doing so would have hurt you, which is exactly what Ramesus wanted. Besides, I'm not convinced that McMike wanted to win our duel."

"What do you mean?" asked Ami.

"Simple. He played Dust Tornado to destroy Shadow Spell, remember?"

Ami thought back. "So?"

"So think about it. What if he'd destroyed the Defense Squadron instead? Rocket Warrior would have been incredibly vulnerable then. One attack would have won him the game."

"DON'T GO AROUND GIVING THEM IDEAS!" yelled Rocket Warrior as he appeared before CV.

"So you're saying that there's a chance... That there's still good in him."

"And if so, he may just be the one to bring Kuno back to you. All we can do... is wait and see."

* * *

"Ah well. Maybe next time," said Ramesus, shrugging. "At least it was diverting, and I know a handful more of his new tactics." He turned to Allis. "And now, my dear, to business. You see, knowing an enemy is one thing. Having someone on the inside is quite another."

He grinned. "YOU will be my agent inside the ranks of the Good Duelists."

"NO! I won't do it! I won't betray my friends!"

"Not even to save one of them?" Ramesus held up the doll of StrongMan. "You have seen my power, girl. I know their decks. Their every move and plan. They cannot hope to stop me from my ultimate plan!"

Allis felt like she'd swallowed a rock.

"They will fall like wheat before a scythe, one by one, until none are left to oppose me. But you do not have to share their fate. HE does not need to share in that fate." He tossed the doll to Allis. She caught it and looked into it's face.

"Serve me, and I shall restore him with no memory of this day. Both he and you will be safe from my plans. On that, you have my word. BUT! If you attempt to betray me, I shall return him to this pitiful form you now hold, and you shall have no one to blame for his demise but yourself."

Allis felt herself beginning to cry. If Ramesus was right about knowing everything about the Good Duelists, then there was no way to win.

"And if you refuse, you'll simply join my doll collection for all eternity," added Ramesus as a casual aside.

"I can't... I just can't..."

"You have five seconds to decide. Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

Allis dropped to her knees, weeping. "I have to..." She sniffled. "You win."

"Of course I do," said Ramesus arrogantly. "I always win!"

He snapped his fingers, and the hall of memories faded away. Allis could see that they were in the library, with no one in sight. The doll of StrongMan faded away, and he reappeared, fully human but asleep, at a table.

"Remember, my dear," said Ramesus. "No one can know. Or else." He began walking away from her, flanked by Shadow and Fury. "Oh, and welcome to the winning side."

Allis watched him go through tear-stung eyes. And then she threw up, sick to her stomach at what she would soon be forced to do... and the knowledge that no one could save her now...

Next Time: Duel Spirit Romance: Possession in the Name of Love


	31. Possession in the Name of Love!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Rocket Warrior and Raging Flame Sprite discovered a mutual attraction. Jay and Ashes began to see each other, as CyberV found a kindred spirit in Ami, a new member of Good. The Brew Sisters became avid followers of Poison, who ignored them utterly, since his interest was in Hikari. Ramesus revealed that he had a special pact with Slifer the Sky Dragon.

* * *

"Double, double, Toil-"

"And Trouble. Fire burn-"

"And cauldron Bubble."

In the woods just outside of the Academy, the Brew Sisters sat around a large campfire. None of them were happy. In the darkness, the light of the flames flickered across their features, making them appear far more sinister than usual.

"After all this time, he still rejects us," said Bubble.

"He only has eyes for that Wheeler strumpet," added Toil. "It's disgraceful."

"Well then, sisters," said Trouble. "We'll just have to do something about it, won't we?"

Trouble held up a picture of Hikari and threw it into the fire. They watched it burn with growing glee.

"And when she's gone..."

"Poison will only have eyes..."

"For US."

* * *

"Awaken." Rocket Warrior opened his eyes at the sound of the booming voice.

"Wha-?" Startled, he looked around. Instead of being at the Arcane Academy, he was floating over Monster World. "Oh MAN... Not THIS again..."

"What's going on?" Rocket Warrior turned to see his fellow Spirits. Flame Sprite was rubbing her eyes, even as she and Flame Wingman rode upon the back of Red-Eyes. They were flanked by the Creator and Cyber Dragon.

"No idea," said Rocket Warrior.

"I have summoned you here on a matter of great urgency." The sky above them seemed to part... and Slifer made his presence known.

"...Ummm... Long time, no see?" said the overwhelmed spirit.

"I fear time is short," said Slifer. "Much depends on me speaking with the Warrior immediately."

"How come?" asked Flame Sprite.

"Verily," added the Creator. "Certainly we could convey thy message."

"No," said Slifer. "It is too vital and delicate. A war is coming, and if I do not speak to the Warrior... all will perish."

"...That could be a problem..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 31: Duel Spirit Romance: Possession in the Name of Love!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Necrofear, and Kasil

* * *

"So let me get this straight," said CV. "The spirit of a god card wants to talk to me in monster world? How the heck am I supposed to get back there? Ask Ramesus for a ride?"

"I didn't say it was gonna be easy..." replied Rocket Warrior.

The gang, minus Hikari, Magyk, and Flame Swordsman, were gathered in the Good Duelists' rec room.

"Did he say anything else?" asked Jay.

"My guess? He growled a lot." Drift wasn't sure he bought all this.

"Something about a war and the fate of the world hanging in the balance," said Flame Sprite.

"Of course..." Nat narrowed her eyes.

"So, how do we do this?" asked CV.

"There might be one way," said LazyMan. "In the sub-basement. Several artifacts of the Arcane are stored there, including some supposedly powerful talismans."

Ashes blinked. "Am I the only one that realizes that we go to a very odd school?"

"No." said several of the others.

"Okay, who the heck are you guys talking to?" asked a very confused Rex.

"Duel spirits," said Mouse. "You get used to them talking to thin air after a while."

"What kind of talismans?" asked Ami.

"If the records are correct... They have the ability to swap souls."

CV raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

"No," said LazyMan. "Apparently these talisman were used by earlier generations to walk with their spirit guides... I'm thinking that might mean duel spirits."

"But to walk with the spirits..." said Jay, "wouldn't CV have to switch places with one of our spirits?"

"Yes. For the duration of the spell, CyberV would be the spirit, and the chosen spirit would inhabit his body."

"Real world, here I come!" cheered Rocket Warrior.

"How many of these things do you have?" asked Ashes.

"Two. Why?"

"I'm going too."

"Now hold on there a moment..." said Jay. "This could be dangerous!"

"I know," said Ashes. "But this probably has everything to do with Ramesus... That... that freakshow tried to steal my soul by using my dead brother against me! I HAVE to go... For him. I need to know what I can do to help stop that maniac."

"Are you sure?" asked Sprite.

"Completely."

"...Then real world, here I come too! WOOHOO!"

Ashes sweatdropped. "No, don't try to talk me out of it or anything..."

"I doubt anyone would ever consider trying such a foolhardy endeavor," said Void.

"And how long will this last?" asked Ikke.

"Could be an hour," said Lazyman. "Could be a day. There's no way to know. So once you two are in spirit form, don't waste any time."

"Right," said CV and Ashes in perfect synch.

* * *

"Oh man... I'm so late..." Hikari ran as fast as she could, hoping to reach the rec room in time to hear what the big news was. "Hope they haven't started without me..."

"I tried to wake you," said Flame Swordsman.

"Yeah yeah... Well would YOU wanna wake from a dream where you get to play Whack-A-Kaiba?"

Flame Swordsman sweatdropped.

"Anyway, we're almost there now, so-"

Hikari stopped in her tracks as Bubble and Toil stepped right in front of her.

"Not in the mood to play right now," said Hikari. "So move aside."

"We're not playing either," said Toil. "Right, Trouble?"

"Right."

Hikari turned, hearing Trouble's voice right behind her. She had the brief image of a wooden bat coming at her before everything went black.

* * *

"I still think this is a bad idea," said Mokuba as he led CV, Ashes, Jay, Ami, Mouse and LazyMan down a long corridor, pausing on occasion to slide a security card and give his thumbprint to open a heavy door.

"We don't have any choice," said LazyMan. "Whatever Slifer has to tell us, it has to be incredibly important."

"Yeah, but I've had my own out of body experiences, and it wasn't any fun at all. It could be dangerous for them... and, well, maybe a bit awkward for everyone else."

"'Awkward'?" asked Mouse.

Mokuba nodded. "If I've heard right, the spirits that'll take over their bodies are, well, an item, right?"

CV and Ashes sweatdropped.

"They'll behave," said Ashes. "I think."

"Very reassuring..." Mouse sighed.

"Just keep in mind," said CV to Jay and Ami, "that it's our bodies, but we won't be at home."

"We understand," said Jay. "Right?"

"Not really..." admitted Ami.

"Just... don't take what they might do personally," said CV.

They stopped at the sight of a massive steel door.

"We're here," said Mokuba. "Beyond these doors are all the mystical artifacts that the Arcane's ever collected." He stepped up to the door. "Authorization Mokuba Pi Zeta Three."

A red beam shone from the door, scanning Mokuba's eyes.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome Mokuba Kaiba." The ground seemed to shake as the door opened slowly, sliding on mechanical rollers. When the door locked into place, Mokuba motioned for them to follow him inside.

Not wasting time, he headed to a pair of arm bands on the far right wall.

"Put them on," he said, taking them and tossing one to CV, and the other to Ashes.

They caught the bands, shrugged, and did as they were told.

"Now what?" asked Jay.

"The Spirits have to touch the bands. I don't know what happens after that."

"This just gets better and better," muttered CV.

"I'm ready," said Sprite, appearing.

"Same here," said Rocket Warrior, right behind her.

"No point wasting time," said Ashes. "Do it."

"Brace yourself!" yelled CV as the Spirits touched the bands.

A second. Two.

Nothing happened.

"Well," said CV, "that was oddly anti-climatic."

Which was when a massive flash of light filled the room, the sound of thunder suddenly rang in everyone's ears, and a shockwave knocked everyone but CV and Ashes down.

"I stand corrected," said CV... before realizing he was looking down at his own body. "Or hover corrected. Hoo boy."

"Woah... We're... ghosts..." Ashes looked at her transparent hand.

"No," said CV. "Spirits. Hey! Are you guys okay?!"

"We're fine," said Jay, pulling Ami up. "Did it work?"

"Looks that way. How are Rocket Warrior and Sprite?"

Jay looked at the standing bodies of his friends. For a moment, they stood still as statues. Then CV's body grinned.

"WE'RE SOLID! This rocks!" Rocket Warrior whooped for joy.

"I... I've never really BEEN solid in the human world before..." Sprite looked at her new hands. "It's so... different."

"Well," said LazyMan as he and Mouse regained their footing, "I'd say it worked. It's nice to finally meet you two."

"Oh, we've known you for ages," said Rocket Warrior.

"Oh. Right... This is confusing."

"Tell me about it..." muttered Mokuba, rubbing his head.

"You two'd better get going," said Sprite to CV and Ashes. "Your ride's here."

"Our ride?" asked Ashes, right before she saw Red-Eyes materialize.

"We ride in style," said CV, grinning.

Red-Eyes knelt down so the two human spirits could ride atop him.

"You know the way, buddy," said CV. "And you two," he said to Rocket Warrior and Sprite, "had better behave while we're gone."

"We promise!" said both of the transplanted spirits. "We'll be on our best behavior."

* * *

"BANZAI!" Rocket Warrior yelled as he slid down the stairway railing, Sprite right behind him, cheering with wild abandon.

"Glad they're behaving themselves..." sighed Nat.

"That's not normal..." Ami sweatdropped.

"It's not Ashes..." muttered Jay under his breath. "Just keep telling yourself that. It's not her..."

* * *

Magyk watched from a distance, chuckling. He'd missed the meeting, but had caught the gist from Drift. Obviously, the talismans had worked; CV and Ashes were DEFINITELY not in their right minds.

Not that CV ever really WAS in what one would call a right mind, but that was besides the point.

It amazed him that magic could actually be real. He may have been a spellcasting specialist, and he may have put on the occasional performance, but he'd never really seen magic until now.

And man, was it funny!

Shaking his head, he turned to leave, only to find the way blocked by Trouble. Literally.

"Just the man I wanted to see," she said.

"Just the girl I was trying to forget existed..." responded Magyk. "Huh, I didn't think you went anywhere without Larry and Curly."

Trouble held up a picture. "The Evil Duelists' dueling arena. One hour. Bring your deck." She turned and left.

Magyk looked at the picture, and scowled. It was Hikari, tied to a chair with a nasty bump on her head. Scrawled on the picture was a message.

"Come alone. Tell no one."

Furious, he crumpled the picture in his fist.

"Not likely."

* * *

The first thing about the Evil Duelists' dueling arena that struck Magyk was that it was fairly normal looking, considering it was in the proverbial heart of darkness.

"I'M HERE!" he yelled. "Just like you asked!"

"Excellent," said Toil as explosions rocked the far side of the arena. As the flame and smoke cleared, he could see that the three Brew Sisters had arrived. Off to the side, Hikari was still tied to the chair and obviously livid.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'M GONNA REARRANGE YOUR WINDPIPES!" Hikari struggled futilely against her bonds.

"Charming." noted Magyk wryly. "Now what's this all about?"

"It's simple," said Bubble. "We duel four ways. When we crush you, we get your precious Dark Magician Girl, the rarest spellcaster monster of all, and just what we need for our decks."

"And," said Toil, "we'll banish the both of you to the Shadow Realm for all eternity, so Poison can reign supreme as the undisputed spellcaster king!"

"He'll love us for it," said Trouble. "We eliminate his competition and console him when the one he cares for mysteriously vanishes. It's absolutely perfect."

"Except for two things," said Magyk. "One, Poison doesn't even LIKE you."

"And two?" asked Bubble, scowling.

"TWO," said Poison, stepping from the shadows with eyes that burned like hot coals. "This is now a FIVE way duel."

"But..." Toil took a step back. "But we told you to tell no one!"

"Yeah, like THAT was gonna work..." Magyk sighed. "You really are dense, aren't you?"

"You three have a LOT of nerve pulling this little stunt," said Poison. "I don't know what was going through those pea brains of yours', but the day I let you console me is the day pigs fly."

"This is Duel Monsters..." said Hikari, sweatdropping. "That happens every couple of hours."

Poison flopped. "DO YOU MIND?! I'm dealing with three thorns in my side here!"

"Well excuse me for being tied to a chair with nothing better to do!"

Magyk blinked. "Can we please just get this insanity over with? I'm missing all the good chaos."

* * *

"FOOD FIGHT!" yelled Sprite as she threw the spaghetti, hitting Ikke square in the face.

Ducking under a table, Jay grit his teeth. "It's NOT Ashes... It's NOT Ashes..."

* * *

"Since there's three of you and two of us," said Magyk, each of you get 4000 life points, while the two of us each get 6000."

"Whatever," muttered Trouble.

"Good idea," said Poison. "And a stipulation... If WE win, you suffer a punishment of MY design."

The three Brews didn't like the sound of that, but they were past the point of no return.

"You'll learn to love us," said Bubble.

"And when we win, you'll have no choice." added Toil.

"You'll be all our's forever." finished Trouble.

"I'd sooner kiss an Ojama on the lips," retorted Poison. "Now let's duel!"

All five spellcasters extended their disks to play mode.

Bubble: 4000

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 6000

Poison: 6000

"I'll start things off," said Bubble. "I summon Magician's Valkyria in attack mode!" The female spellcaster appeared.

Magician's Valkyria: 1600/1800

"And now that she's on the field, any spellcaster we summon will be safe from your attack until you destroy her!" Bubble giggled. "I'll also play one facedown card." A holocard appeared on the field. "That's all."

"My turn," said Magyk. "I place one card facedown." A card appeared. "And I summon the Gemini Elf!" Two elfin women appeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"That all? How disappointing..." Toil drew. "I summon Skilled Dark Magician Girl!" A Dark Magician Girl appeared, but younger, and garbed in black. Her dress, adorned with power stones, sparkled.

Skilled Dark Magician Girl: 1600/1400

"That's all for this round."

"Then I'll go," said Poison. "One monster facedown, and that's all." A facedown appeared.

"And I'll do the same," said Trouble, as a holocard appeared in front of her.

"Sounds like a plan," said Bubble, taking her second turn. "One monster facedown." A third card appeared.

"My move," said Magyk. "I sacrifice Gemini Elf to summon Magical Marionette!" The Gemini Elf faded away as a new monster materialized. A bizarre puppet.

Magical Marionette: 2000/1000

"Now attack Valkyria with puppet string!" The Marionette raised it's hands and strings shot out, entrapping Valkyria in a nasty bind. The spellcaster screamed as she was mummified by the string, which then unwound to reveal that she had vanished completely.

Bubble: 3600

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 6000

Poison: 6000

"Don't worry, sister," said Toil. "She'll be avenged! After all, now it's my turn! And I play the spell Smashing Ground! This card destroys the monster on YOUR side of the field with the strongest defense!" She grinned. "And since the only active one you've got is the Marionette..." A massive bounder fell from the sky, crushing the Marionette.

One of the gems on Skilled Dark Magician Girl's dress began to glow.

"That will do for now."

Magyk didn't like this. They'd already made a dent in the life points of one of the Brews, but it looked to be a long and trying duel.

"Better make your move a good one," said Magyk.

"I pass," said Poison.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Magyk flopped.

"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" yelled Hikari. "YOU JERK!"

"Are you TRYING to make us lose?" demanded Magyk.

"Of course he is," said Trouble. "He's one of US. One of the EVIL Duelists. Did you really think he'd work with his greatest rival for this pathetic little tart? No doubt he planned this all along, just to surprise us with this wonderful act of love!"

Magyk looked at Poison, and had to wonder if Trouble might be right.

* * *

"This is amazing!" Ashes gasped as Red-Eyes flew just over the clouds, his toe claws just scraping the tops.

"I know!" said CV, enjoying the ride. "But don't forget to hold on! We've gotta be at least a mile up!"

"Yeah, I'm REALLY gonna forget to hang on tight..." All the same, Ashes tightened her grip slightly.

"So, how much longer?" he asked the mighty dragon. In response, Red-Eyes merely looked up.

CV's eyes did the same. "WOAH."

Hovering just ahead, filling his entire vision, was the mighty Slifer the Sky Dragon. It was the single largest duel spirit he had ever seen.

"Warrior. It is good that you heeded my invitation." The booming voice did not come from his two mouths, but instead seemed to generate in their own minds.

"Telepathy?" Ashes was impressed.

"With so much at stake, I would have been a fool not to come."

"True," agreed Slifer. "It is time for you to be aware of just what it is that you are truly up against."

"You mean there's a greater threat than Ramesus?"

"It is... complicated, Warrior. Suffice to say, if you cannot stop him before his plans reach fruition, your world shall perish."

"...Why can't meetings with godlike beings EVER be about good news?"

* * *

"AND STAY OUT!" yelled the lunch lady as she shoved Rocket Warrior and Flame Sprite out of the cafeteria.

"Think they'll be mad at us?" asked Rocket Warrior.

"We just got them banned from the cafeteria for a month. I'd say it's likely."

Jay, Nat, and Ami rushed out the door, slamming it behind them. The sound of silverware bouncing off of the doors was quite loud.

"I hope you two are happy." said Nat. "We're going to have to clean up that catastrophe when the dust settles."

"I'm gonna guess that saying sorry won't cut it..." Rocket Warrior said, wincing.

"NO." Nat scowled.

"Had to check." Rocket Warrior shrugged.

"It's just... We're not used to being in the real world. It's easy to get a little stir crazy when you spend most of your time not being able to touch anything." Sprite looked quite chagrined. "We didn't mean to cause this much trouble."

"Although that WAS a beautiful shot with the spaghetti..." noted Rocket Warrior, before Nat glared at him again. "Okay! Okay! We'll stop!"

"Good," said Ami.

"Right after we take a long walk through the woods!" Rocket Warrior grabbed Sprite's hand and they ran for the exit.

"Not AGAIN..." Nat and Ami rushed after them.

Jay clenched his fists. "It's NOT Ashes... IT'S NOT ASHES..."

* * *

Poison stood there, impassively and unreadable.

'Not good...' Magyk reflected. 'I may not be able to count on him after all, which means I'd better be braced for a four-way assault. Too bad it's not my turn!'

"My move!" said Trouble as she drew a card. "I reveal my facedown monster, the Apprentice Magician!" The novice mage appeared.

Apprentice Magician: 400/800

"And that activates his special ability. Isn't that right, Skilled Dark Magician Girl?"

In response, a second gem began to glow on the monster's dress.

'Whatever's going on with those gems, it can't be good for me,' thought Magyk. 'I need a strategy!'

"Now attack him with novice spell!" The Apprentice Magician waved a wand, and dark energy surrounded Magyk, causing him pain.

"ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!"

Bubble: 3600

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 5600

Poison: 6000

"Did that hurt?" asked Bubble. "I just wanted to check, since now it's my turn, and I'm doing the same thing! Reveal Apprentice Magician!" Another of the same spellcaster rose up.

Apprentice Magician 2: 400/800

Another gem lit up on Skilled Dark Magician Girl.

"NOW ATTACK!" The aura surrounded Magyk again.

"GOT... TO... HOLD ON..." The aura faded, and he gasped in relief.

Bubble: 3600

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Poison: 6000

Magyk: 5200

"And I'll finish my turn by playing Delay Summon. It lets me summon an extra monster during your end phase!" The card appeared on the field.

"You should give up now," said Toil. "You can't beat all three of us, not with Poison watching our backs."

'They're right...' he realized. 'It's a total mismatch. They'll just wear me down... If I can't take the offensive right now, I'm finished!'

He drew. He glanced at Poison, watching impassively. 'What on earth is he thinking?!' He glanced at Poison's eyes, only to realize that Poison wasn't focused on the duel. He was looking past everything on the field... and right at Hikari!

"Got to... loosen these ropes..." Hikari moved her wrists, trying to create slack. "Not gonna sit here and let this happen!"

"You don't have a choice," said Trouble as she casually pushed Hikari, chair and all, over.

"Face it, sweetie," said Bubble. "You're done. Through. Kaput."

"And it's all gonna be thanks to the master magician himself..." sighed Toil, brimming with infatuation.

Poison's eyes narrowed.

"We'll see about that," said Magyk. "I summon Kycco the Ghost Destroyer!" Kycco appeared. "But it's not sticking around, thanks to the quickplay spell card Magical Dimension!" A massive box appeared behind Kycco. The monster hovered into it, and it shut tight.

"Now I can sacrifice Kycco to special summon a spellcaster from my hand, and I choose my Dark Magician Girl!" The box opened, and the lovely spellcaster appeared, flying from the box as it faded away.

Dark Magician Girl: 2000/1700

"And that's not all! My Magical Dimension card also lets me destroy one of your monsters! And I choose YOUR Apprentice Magician!" He thrust his finger towards Bubble, and she cried out in shock as her monster shattered.

"NOW ATTACK HER DIRECTLY WITH DARK MAGIC STRIKE!" Dark Magician Girl nodded and thrust her staff forward. The world went negative for Bubble, and she dropped to her knees.

Bubble: 2000

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 5200

Poison: 6000

"Still think I'm helpless?" he asked.

"You will be..." said Bubble. "You just activated my facedown card... MAGICIAN'S CIRCLE! Whenever a monster with 2000 points attacks, this card lets us each summon a monster with 2000 points or less from our decks!" A card ejected from each deck. "So now we each summon our own Dark Magician Girl!" Three copies of Dark Magician Girl appeared on the Brews' side of the field, garbed in black with pale blue skin.

Dark Magician Girl x3: 2000/1700

There was a light in the corner of Magyk's eye. He turned to see that Poison too had summoned the Dark Magician Girl, a card he had professed to despise.

Dark Magician Girl: 2000/1700

'Why did he play that? He always just sacrifices it in the most horrific manner possible!'

Magyk turned his attention to his own summoning. "I choose my Skilled Dark Magician!" The spellcasting master appeared on the field, ready for battle.

Skilled Dark Magician: 1900/1700

"Is that all?"

"Nope," said Bubble. "Now Delay Summon activates, letting me place one monster facedown!" A holocard appeared before her. "NOW I'm done, and soon you'll be done too."

"So true, my dear sister," said Toil, drawing. "DARK MAGICIAN GIRL! DESTROY HIS SKILLED DARK MAGICIAN!" Her Dark Magician Girl thrust her staff forward, and Skilled Dark Magician went negative and shattered.

Bubble: 2000

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 5100

Poison: 6000

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."

All eyes turned to Poison, who drew silently.

"You three are a joke." He said each word precisely and clearly for maximum impact. "Your skills are laughable and your talent is dubious. Surrender now and maybe I won't rend your souls to shreds."

"But we thought-"

"That you were with us-"

"Like you're supposed to be!"

"You thought wrong! I activate the spell Sage's Stone! Now, with a Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can special summon a Dark Magician from my deck!" The stone appeared and glowed, and the red Dark Magician materialized.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"And now I play the spell Altar for Tribute! She's served her purpose, so now I'll sacrifice my Dark Magician Girl to add her attack points to my life points!" The altar appeared and grabbed his Dark Magician Girl. She screamed as it bent her backwards, before impaling her on a stone spike. She shattered.

Hikari looked away, horrified.

"And what's happened to her will happen to the three of you soon enough."

Bubble: 2000

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 5100

Poison: 8000

"...He... He means it..." Bubble backed up a step.

"Maybe we should rethink this plan..." added Toil.

"No, we fight on," said Trouble. "He'll be ours' yet!"

"Your mistake," he said. "ATTACK TOIL'S DARK MAGICIAN GIRL! DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"

"No, the mistake is YOUR'S!" yelled Toil. "REVEAL SAKURETSU ARMOR!" An armored warrior appeared and slashed Poison's Dark Magician, shattering him. "You dare spurn us? We'll MAKE you love us! When we win the duel, your heart and soul will be ours' forever!"

"And because there's a Dark Magician in the graveyard, every Dark Magician Girl gains 300 attack points!"

Dark Magician Girl x4: 2000/1700 +300 2300/1700

"And now to show you why you should never toy with the affections of a woman!" exclaimed Trouble. "ATTACK HIS FACEDOWN MONSTER!" Her Dark Magician Girl aimed her staff at Poison's facedown. The card shattered, revealing an elfin warrior.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian: 1400/1200

"Sorry, but my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian has a special ability. If a monster has more than 1900 attack points, it can't destroy him!"

"NO!"

"Yes," said Poison. "And the best is yet to come..."

* * *

"So, what's the threat?" asked CV, anxious to know what was on the horizon.

"Open your minds to me," said Slifer. "And you shall see..."

CV and Ashes forced themselves to relax... And what entered their minds horrified them.

Tornados and hurricanes ripping apart cities... Floods and lightning killing scores of innocent people. People collapsing as dark clouds formed overhead.

The Academy, in ruins. Duel disks lying where they fell, their owners nowhere in sight.

A girl sobbing in the darkness, impossible to make out. All they could tell was that she was all alone.

The scene changed, showing a nearly dead world. A massive shadowy form loomed over all in it's path... and watching it all, Ramesus laughed long and loud, his victory complete and total.

"NO!" They snapped out of it as Ashes screamed in horror.

"My... god..." CV shook his head. "It... It can't be..."

"It can, and will be, unless Ramesus is stopped," said Slifer. "More to the point... he must be saved."

"Saved? The psycho sicced my dead brother on me!" Ashes couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What do you mean?" CV was confused.

"Ramesus was not always cloaked in the darkness. Once, he was much like you, struggling to find his path and discovering a great destiny... to be my emissary to the Arcane in the human world. But he was ambitious, and chose to join Evil, so he could use his influence to guide the Arcane.

"When he took the Scepter, it was an altruistic act, an attempt to save you from what he perceived to be danger... But the Scepter sensed that he was of the Evil side, and registering the nobility in the deed, sought to correct what it saw as a problem by suppressing the good within him. This created an imbalance between Ramesus' yin and yang... His yang has been silenced, leaving only the yin to guide him.

"The only way to stop this impending disaster is to use the Scepter to restore his karmic balance, for only that which caused this crisis can resolve it."

"We've been trying, but with no luck."

"Finding the Scepter is not a matter of luck, but of life and death. When Ramesus has finished ravaging your realm, he shall annihilate this one as well, destroying any hope for salvation. You are the only one that can stop this madness and restore him to the person he once was. But you shall not face this challenge alone."

"That's right," said Ashes. "He's got friends that'll back him all the way."

"Excellent, but even that may not be enough. No, when the time comes to face him, call to me, and my power shall be at your disposal... It is my fault that he found himself in this position... I must help rectify it."

"What do you mean?"

"I cannot help you directly, Warrior... For me to appear in the real world without my card in play would mean a complete annihilation of the balance of power that maintains reality... But I can supply you with my power... but only once, and when the situation is life or death."

"I don't understand," said Ashes. "How can you do that?"

"You will know when the time is right. At the proper hour, call to me, and I shall do what I can. Now go. Your world needs you, and time grows short. This audience is ended."

Without a further word, Slifer sunk into the clouds and vanished completely. CV and Ashes exchanged glances.

"Looks like we've got a new ally," said CV. "We'd better get back. No telling what's been happening while we've been away."

"Oh, I'm sure everyone's just fine..."

* * *

"Now," said Bubble, "it's time for your final curtain call." She drew. "I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!" She did so. "And now I'll reveal my facedown monster, the Magician of Faith!" Her holocard faded away, to be replaced by a delicate looking woman in robes.

Magician of Faith: 300/400

"And now I activate her special ability! She allows me to pick a spell card in my grave and add it to my hand... and I choose Pot of Greed!" The pot reappeared, and Bubble drew two more cards.

Several gems on Skilled Dark Magician Girl lit up.

"Are you gonna make a real move sometime today?" asked Poison.

"How's THIS?!" She held up a card. "I PLAY POLYMERIZATION! Now I fuse all three of our Dark Magician Girls!" The three spellcasters flew into the air and swirled together. "To create the almighty and lovely Dark Wizard's Apprentice!" Dark Magician Girl reappeared, wearing a new outfit.

Dark Wizard's Apprentice: 2600/2300

"And she gains 900 attack points for every Dark Magician in the graveyard!"

DWA: 2600/2300 +900/0 3500/2300

"Now destroy Magyk's Dark Magician Girl with Assistant's Master Spell!" Dark Wizard's Apprentice raised her staff and everything went negative. Magyk's Dark Magician Girl screamed and shattered.

Bubble: 2000

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 3900

Poison: 8000

"And best of all, not only is she immune to spells, but because we created her together, my sisters can attack with her, too!" Bubble grinned. "You're done."

"WRONG!" said Magyk. "YOU'RE done, Bubble! I summon Apprentice Magician!" The monster appeared. "But only so I can sacrifice him using Magical Dimension!" The box appeared, and the monster flew into it. "And I'll now summon my Dark Magician!" The box opened, revealing Dark Magician.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"And now, the effect of my spell card will destroy Trouble's Apprentice Magician!"

"NO!" Trouble watched as her monster shattered.

"With him out of the way, I'll now play another card... Snatch Steal! It lets me take a monster form your side of the field and make it my own, and for every one of your turns that it's on my side of the field, you'd gain 1000 life points."

"You can't take Dark Wizard's Apprentice," said Trouble. "You've wasted your card!"

"Who said he was going for that trash?" responded Poison. "Oh no, he wants your Skilled Dark Magician Girl."

"Very true," said Magyk as Toil's monster flew to his side.

"She's no match for our ultimate spellcaster!"

"She doesn't need to be! I'm guessing those gems on her dress are spell counters, and that usually means only one thing... I activate Skilled Dark Magician Girl's special ability! I sacrifice her and her spell counters to revive my Dark Magician Girl!"

Skilled Dark Magician Girl faded away, and Dark Magician Girl reappeared in defense mode.

Dark Magician Girl (with DM bonus) : 2300/1700

"Like I said, Bubble, you're finished."

"Even together, they're no match for Dark Wizard's Apprentice."

"You don't get it, do you?" asked Poison. "He's not going after THAT. He's going to attack that pathetic Magician of Faith you thoughtlessly left in attack mode."

Bubble's eyes went wide.

"...no..."

"Yes," said Magyk. "DARK MAGICIAN! DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Dark Magician raised his staff, and Magician of Faith went negative before shattering.

Bubble: 0

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Magyk: 3900

Poison: 8000

Bubble dropped to her knees, stunned.

"How... could I... lose?"

"You're a fool. It was easy," said Poison. "And that leaves two."

Both sisters gulped.

"Make your move," demanded Poison. "I'm getting bored."

"You lousy... Don't worry Bubble," said Toil. "I'll get them." She drew. "I place one card facedown."

"And I'll destroy it," said Magyk. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, which annihilates your facedown!"

The just placed card shattered as high winds blew it from the field.

"Blast you... DARK WIZARD'S APPRENTICE! DESTROY MAGYK'S DARK MAGICIAN!" The Apprentice raised her staff, and lightning shot out, vaporizing Dark Magician.

Toil: 4000

Trouble: 4000

Poison: 8000

Magyk: 2300

"And now our monster gains another bonus!"

Dark Wizard's Apprentice + 1800 DM bonus :4400/2300

"So does my Dark Magician Girl," said Magyk.

Dark Magician Girl w/ 2 DM bonus: 2600/1700

"She's nothing." said Trouble. "We'll crush her."

"But first, I make my move," said Poison, drawing a card. "I play Dark Magic Curtain! Now each of us lose half our life points, but gain a spellcaster on the field."

Toil: 2000

Trouble: 2000

Magyk: 1150

Poison: 4000

"We each choose our Skilled Dark Magician Girl!" The two of the sorceress reappeared.

Skilled Dark Magician Girl x2: 1600/1400

"And we each summon Dark Magician!" said Magic and Poison in perfect unison. Two Dark Magicians appeared, one in purple, one in red.

Dark Magician x2: 2500/2100

"Now," said Poison, "I place four cards facedown." Four cards appeared before him.

"Hiding behind spells and traps? It won't be enough!" shouted Trouble. "APPRENTICE! DESTROY MAGYK'S DARK MAGICIAN!" The Apprentice raised her staff to fire lightning.

"I ACTIVATE WABOKU!" shouted Poison as the card rose up. "This card prevents you from destroying our monsters or dealing damage to us this turn!" In response, the staff ceased glowing.

"YES!" Hikari cheered, even as she tried to roll herself upright, to no avail.

"You're only making it worse," noted Flame Swordsman as he appeared by her side. The only response she gave him was an evil eye. "Right. I shall be silent then."

"And now with Bubble gone, it automatically becomes my turn again," said Magyk. "And I'll start by playing Double Spell! It allows me to copy one spell card in your graveyard, as long as I discard one card from my hand." He selected a spell and sent it away. "And I choose your Polymerization!" Polymerization appeared.

"Now, I'll fuse both our Dark Magicians to create an entirely new spellcaster... DARK WIZARD!" The two Dark Magicians joined staffs and merged into one being, a powerful dark sorcerer that glared balefully at Dark Wizard's Apprentice.

Dark Wizard: 3500/2900

"But by fusing your two Dark Magicians," said Toil, "you've made our Apprentice even stronger! It seems that the student has surpassed the master!"

Dark Wizard's Apprentice (w 4 DM bonus) : 6200/2300

"And my Dark Magician Girl gets stronger too," said Magyk.

Dark Magician Girl w/ 4 DM bonus: 3200/1700

"Not that it matters. Now I equip Dark Wizard with Axe of Despair, which gives him 1000 extra attack points."

Dark Wizard: (equipped) 4500/2900

"Still not enough," said Trouble. "You're gonna lose."

"Not if I play my best card," said Magyk. "MAGE POWER!" He held it up, and it began to glow. "This card allows me to give Dark Wizard 500 attack points for every card on the field! Poison has three, and I have two, Axe of Despair, and Mage Power itself. That's 2500 more attack points!"

Dark Wizard: (equipped) 7000/2900

"So you can destroy her. We'll each only lose 800 life points!" Toil breathed a sigh of relief.

"Guess again," said Magyk. "I play Card of Sanctity!" Gold coins began raining from the sky. "Now we each draw until we have six cards in our hand!" Each of them drew, filling their hands. "And that gives me three more spell cards to place facedown." Three cards appeared. "And that means..."

Dark Wizard: (equipped) 8500/2900

"YOU LOSE." finished Poison.

"ATTACK APPRENTICE WITH MASTER'S FINAL LESSON!" Magyk directed Dark Wizard, who opened a spell book. The book began to grow immense before opening and slamming shut on Dark Wizard's Apprentice.

The shockwave knocked Toil and Trouble off their feet.

Toil: 0

Trouble: 0

Magyk: 1150

Poison: 4000

The girls looked up as the holograms all faded away.

"It can't be..." said Bubble.

"We were so close..." added Toil.

"We almost had everything we ever wanted..." finished Trouble.

Poison and Magyk stepped forward. Poison walked past the three prone Sisters and went to Hikari's side, flicking his wrist to produce a knife, which he began using to free Hikari.

"You can't force people to love you," said Magyk. "If you did, it would be empty and meaningless."

"Plus," said Poison as he managed to cut through the rope holding Hikari, freeing her at last, "I find the three of you annoying. No spell could change that."

Hikari let him help her up. "Thanks." He nodded.

"And now," said Poison, "for the penalty to be paid..." The blood red wdjat on his head began to glow. "...Give Hikari one of your Dark Magicians."

Magyk and the Brew Sisters flopped.

"That's IT?" said Bubble, stunned and confused. "But we thought..."

Poison grabbed Bubble's deck and searched through it, picking a Dark Magician and throwing it to Hikari.

"Oh, I'd love nothing more than to send you twits to the next world, but you see, Hikari's got dibs after what you put her through."

Hikari smirked and cracked her knuckles.

"And I get the feeling that what she has planned for you is bad enough all by itself."

"OOOOHHHH YEAH..."

"...We should give the ladies some privacy," noted Magyk.

"So true," agreed Poison. "Oh, and we locked the doors on the way in. Play nice..." The two rivals walked away.

The Brew Sisters, still wiped from their defeat, looked up as Hikari loomed over them.

"...No hard feelings, right?" Bubble said it with a desperate tone.

Hikari grabbed her by the jacket collar and hoisted her up.

"Right."

"...help!"

* * *

Just outside, Magyk and Poison listened as Hikari doled out some well earned payback. Obviously, this was a time where the classic Wheeler temper came in handy.

"How long should we give her?" asked Magyk.

"Five minutes." They heard a loud crack and the breaking of a bleacher seat. "Maybe ten."

"INCOMING!" they heard her yell. They moved away from the door as Trouble was slammed through the doors, knocking them open.

Trouble started crawling away, only for Hikari to grab her by the foot and drag her back inside.

"...Or maybe we should just come back later..." decided Magyk.

"You go," said Poison. "I like to watch."

* * *

Jay felt a headache coming on as he watched the bodies of his best friend and his girlfriend hold hands as they walked through the woods.

"I hope they're okay," said Ami. "They've been gone for hours."

"Yeah... I'd like them to get back here as soon as possible..." He clenched his teeth. This was really getting on his nerves.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" asked Sprite as she took in the view.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Rocket Warrior couldn't help but agree.

"They should be back soon. I guess we should get ready to change back."

"Yeah... No more real world..."

"Before we go back, there's something I've been wanting to do," admitted Sprite.

"Yeah?"

"It's just... When you're you, you don't have a mouth."

"So?"

"So, silly... Before we have to go back... I wanted to do THIS..." Sprite grabbed Rocket Warrior and kissed him right on the lips.

Ami gaped. Nat sweatdropped.

Jay, livid now, punched a hole in the nearest tree reflexively. "IT'S NOT ASHES! IT'S NOT ASHES! IT'S NOT ASHES!"

The kiss lingered for a few seconds... Then both of them screamed and fell backwards.

"What in the world?!" demanded Ashes.

"How did we...?" CV was equally shocked.

There was a pause.

"ROCKET WARRIOR! SPRITE! GET BACK HERE!"

Immaterial again, the two spirits sweatdropped.

"Run?" asked Rocket Warrior.

"Run," concurred the Sprite as they flew away as fast as they could, holding hands.

CV and Ashes watched the lovebirds fly off.

"This never happened, right?" asked Ashes.

"Errr... Right," said CV, vaguely disappointed.

Ashes walked over to Jay, who was pulling his hand from the tree. "That looks like it hurt."

"It did. A lot. ...I'm gonna go to the infirmary now."

"Good plan." They walked off. It was a full ten seconds before CV, Ami, and Nat heard the "AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!" echoing in the distance.

CV walked over to Ami and embraced her, giving her a kiss and chuckling. "So, what did I miss?"

Nat cocked an eyebrow. "How do you feel about spaghetti sauce stain removal?"

CV sweatdropped.

* * *

Ramesus walked his hall of memories, observing each of his minions and enemies.

He spied McMike, Kuno, and Void, trapped in a cycle of honor and betrayal. It would make for an interesting show when next they met.

He spied Greekman, lusting for power.

He saw Poison watching Hikari as his greatest rival walked away. This was something he could use.

He watched as LazyMan, Mouse, Mokuba, and Drift planned their next move. It would be fruitless.

He saw Ikke, alone, accompanied only by a picture of Allis, his newest pawn. Allis, in turn, sat alone in her room, crying over the evil she would soon be forced to do.

Strong Man watched as Tapkar dueled, unaware that he was now just another pawn in his plan to rule the world.

He saw Jimbo holding up a medallion that meant only doom for all who would cross him. He was one to be wary of in the coming battle.

He saw Rex observing his old friend Ami from a distance, but they were both ultimately irrelevant to him. Just more fodder for his power.

He saw Nat, befriended but yet ultimately a solitary soul, watch a friend uncomfortably but dutifully.

He saw Jay and Ashes, walking together, full of love that he would soon turn into their greatest weakness.

And he saw the Warrior, the only one with any hope of stopping him. Negligible hope, but hope all the same. Separated from the Scepter, he would not be a threat for long.

"The stage is at long last set," he said to no one in particular. "The time has at long last come... When next the sun rises... THE WORLD AS THEY KNOW IT SHALL FINALLY END!"

He grinned. "LET THE WAR... BEGIN!"

Next time: The Time has Come! The Scepter War Begins!


	32. The Scepter War Begins!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ramesus revealed to Allis that he has been studying the decks and strategies of every member of the Good Duelists, then forced her to join his side as a spy. Ramesus prepared his followers for a massive battle that he claimed would give them control of the entire world. The Good Duelists held a massive recruitment drive to protect the students in preparation for the coming battle. Jimbo revealed that he possessed the remains of the Pyramid of Light. Slifer the Sky Dragon summoned CyberV to the spirit world, where he warned of an impending armageddon that only the fully powered Warrior could stop. Poison became a reluctant ally to CyberV, unbeknownst to Ramesus.

* * *

Ramesus stood in front of his office window and watched as dawn approached.

Somewhere in the school, Jimbo laughed cruelly as a girl watched her protective boyfriend fade away. She knew she would soon join him.

It looked to be perfect weather.

Elsewhere in the school, Kuno's Fuhma Shuriken spelled doom for a talented but overwhelmed beast warrior duelist.

He could hear birds chirping on a tree just beyond his reach.

McMike's Big Koala crushed the last, desperate hope of the insect enthusiast who had the unfortunate luck to be the first target he'd spotted.

If that bird knew better, it would be flying as far away as it possibly could, fearing for it's life.

The Brew Sisters, still bruised but recovering from their encounter with Hikari, watched as their Dark Wizard's Apprentice annihilated the last line of defense a toy duelist had.

He had waited patiently for almost the entire school year.

Reluctantly, Poison gave the order for his Dark Magician to vaporize the Rude Kaiser that stood between him and an unwanted victory.

He had put plans into motion, nurtured them as his power grew.

Greekman all but spit on his opponent as his Five-Headed Dragon wiped out the last of their life points.

So too had his followers grown, gaining shadow powers through him, which would give them the ability to crush the world.

Shadow smirked as his creatures froze the last trap card protecting his target.

And now, at long last, the waiting was over.

Fury's monster easily took down a young duelist in a direct attack.

Finally, after all the planning, the waiting, and the scheming, he could launch his final gambit.

With each duel completed, a blood red wdjat appeared on the forehead of the victor. One by one, the losers found themselves vanishing into darkness. Their screams filled the halls, filling all who heard them with dread. Their duel disks clattered to the ground, all but abandoned.

Ramesus turned away from the window and headed for the exit.

He had a war to win.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 32: The Time has Come! The Scepter War Begins!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

The screams were a wake-up call. A call that most of the students had been expecting for months... But NOW? Three days before the end of the school year?!

LazyMan wasn't surprised. "Okay, this is what we've trained for all year! SPREAD OUT AND STOP THEM!"

That was all he had said in the way of orders before joining the rest of the team.

'So, you've finally made your move... And you timed it perfectly. We were getting distracted by the impending graduations and the transfer of leadership! Blast him... What has he DONE?!'

* * *

"And now I play my Pot of Greed!" said Mouse as she drew the perennial favorite searching card of the duelist.

Mouse: 1000

Fang: 6500

She didn't know much about Fang, except that he was one of the lesser Evil Duelists. One of the flunkies, as Ramesus might put it.

Well, she knew one other thing... He'd just banished a trio of cheerleaders to the shadow realm, an unforgivable act. Unfortunately, his deck was proving to be just as strong as any of the big name Evil Duelists. His beast warriors had torn through every line of defense she'd set up.

Manticore of Darkness: 2300/1000

"Draw all you like, sweetheart. You're finished."

"No," said Mouse as she drew. "YOU'RE FINISHED!" She placed five cards in her monster zones. "Because now I hold all five pieces of the unstoppable EXODIA, THE FORBIDDEN ONE!" The spellbinding circle appeared behind Mouse, and slowly, breaking through Exodia emerged, a being of sheer power that had made her one of the best duelists in the Academy.

Exodia the Forbidden One: Infinite

"NO! NO, YOU CAN'T!"

"I just did," said Mouse. "Exodia... OBLITERATE!" Exodia charged a ball of energy in his hand, then thrust it forward, firing a massive beam of energy that shattered the Manticore of Darkness.

"YOU CAAAAAAANNNNNN'TTTTT.." Fang collapsed.

Mouse: 1000

Fang: 0

"That should teach you a lesson... WHAT THE?!" Before Mouse's eyes, Fang began to fade away, much as his victims had... Even more disturbing... those missing girls weren't returning.

"...My god... Ramesus' plan will destroy us all..."

* * *

"You're finished, 'Warrior'," smirked an evil Duelist who apparently went by the moniker of "Q", and thought that like a certain Star Trek character, he could do anything just by willing it... including defeat all who opposed him. "As soon as my next turn arrives, you're finished!"

CyberV: 2800

Q: 8000

Worse, he had a menacing array of monsters on the field, while CV had nothing but a single facedown after his last assault. Worse, his Pandemonium field spell was in play, which meant that the effect of his newest monster, Mazera DeVille, had just destroyed half his hand.

Barrel Dragon: 2600/2200

Beast of Talwar: 2400/2150

Dark Master Zorc: 2700/1500

Dark Ruler Ha Des: 2450/1600

Mazera DeVille: 2800/2300

"Just give it up already... You've lost."

"Not yet I haven't," said CV as he drew. "I play Injection Fairy Lily in attack mode!" The beautiful nurse spellcaster appeared on the field.

Injection Fairy Lily: 400/1500

"A useless monster with Dark Ruler Ha Des on the field! Her effect can't be used!"

"Not yet, anyway," said CV. "Now I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!" He drew again. "Now I play the spell card Yu-Jo Friendship!" The spell card appeared on the field, depicting Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler shaking hands.

"That's not a real card! You can't play that!"

"It's an experimental prototype created by Pegasus himself," said CV. "And given to me for the express purpose of saving the world. Now, here's how it works. I offer you a handshake, and if you accept, our life points get added together, divided in half, and we each wind up with that new number for a total."

"That's stupid," said Q. "No one in their right mind would agree to that!"

"Oh, I know... Which is why if I have the spell card Unity in my hand, the opponent is FORCED to accept it. And look here..." CV held up another experimental card, Unity, depicting Yugi and his friends. "So shake on it?"

Muttering under his breath, Q stepped forward, even as CV did, and, bound by the rules, he shook CV's hand.

CyberV: 5400

Q: 5400

"You may have pulled off a cheap trick, but you're still down to one wimpy little girl to protect you, and you only have one card in your hand I don't know about!"

"Which just means I need to change that, right? I activate Graceful Charity!" The card appeared. "How I get to draw three cards, as long as I discard two from my hand!" He did so, choosing to discard Unity and a Z-Metal Tank.

"And now I reveal my facedown... Jar of Greed! It lets me draw one more card!" The Jar rose up and shattered. CV drew.

"And with that, you're done, Q. You may THINK you can do the impossible, but you're up against the hope for the world, and I can make miracles! I play the spell card Raigeki!" Raigeki appeared on the field. Instantly, lightning lanced across the field, annihilating all of Q's monsters.

"NO! MY ARMY!"

"Your army is cooked," said CV. "And with Ha Des gone, Injection Fairy Lily regains her special ability. An ability I aim to use right now! So I pay 2000 life points, to increase her attack by 3000!"

CyberV: 3400

Q: 5400

Injection Fairy Lily (effect) : 3400/1500

"Now attack Q directly!" said CV. "INJECTION SHOT!" Injection Fairy Lily's needle grew immense before firing, striking Q head on.

CyberV: 3400

Q: 2000

Injection Fairy Lily: 400/1500

"Cute... Real cute..." said Q.

"Yeah, she's a doll, isn't she?"

Q growled. "Well I've still got life points, and it's about to be my turn!"

"Ummm... Nope. Sorry. Not happening." CV placed a card in a spell slot. "I activate the spell Double Attack! So now, I just discard a monster from my hand..." He selected V-Tiger Jet from his hand and placed it into his graveyard. "And my Lily gets to attack again! So I'll reactivate her special ability, and pay 2000 life points to give her a boost!"

Injection Fairy Lily (effect): 3400/1500

CyberV: 1400

Q: 2000

"NOW FINISH IT!" ordered CV. The needle blasted forward, knocking Q onto his back and ending the duel.

CyberV: 1400

Q: 0

Lily and Pandemonium vanished.

"Now return the people you banished!" ordered CV.

"Sorry," said Q, snickering. "But that isn't in the game plan..." He started to become transparent. "Too bad, so had. No rescues for you today, Warrior! You've accomplished nothing at all! What a waste of time!" Q vanished entirely, his duel disk hitting the floor.

CV clenched his fists. "Wrong... I stopped you from hurting anyone. It's a start."

Nodding to the spectators, he deactivated his disk and ran. There were way too many Evil Duelists to take a break today, and he refused to allow anyone to be taken away on his watch.

* * *

"FINISH THE DUEL," yelled LazyMan. "STONE SWORD SLASH!" Giant Soldier of Stone complied with LazyMan's order, slicing through Lazy's opponent and saving one of the professors from a trip to the Shadow Realm.

"That's that," said Lazyman, before watching, astonished, as his unconscious opponent faded away just as fast as his monster.

"...Okay, that was odd."

* * *

"Anybody else see their opponents vanish?!" asked Nat, her Cyber End Dragon looming behind her, as she spoke into an earpiece LazyMan had given her.

"Same here," reported Drift. "And the people who vanished didn't come back either!"

"That just means," said Magyk, "that this must all be part of a LARGER shadow game!"

"And that means beating Ramesus to win, right?" asked Jay.

"Looks like," responded Ashes. "I think we should regroup, try to think up a plan."

"I've got a plan," said Ikke. "Keep fighting!"

"Hate to say it," said CV, "but good plan. Everyone, keep in touch."

Nat looked at the now ownerless duel disks littering the hallway. "Count on it."

* * *

Ramesus casually strolled the corridors, listening for the occasional scream of horror or explosion. He could sense that already several of his pawns had fallen, but so had many unaffiliated students, and even some of the Good Duelists that had tried to stop them. None of the important ones, but, still, progress was progress.

And before the day was done, he would see the Warrior, beaten and broken, at his feet... He just needed to find the one perfect target...

* * *

"You've put up a pitiful fight," said Ikke. "I honestly never thought I'd say this... WATAPON! FINISH IT WITH POWDER PUFF POUND!"

Watapon hopped forward and struck the Evil Duelist, causing him to fade away.

Ignoring the disappearance of his opponent, Ikke looked around for any sign of trouble.

"Has anyone seen Allis?" he asked into his earpiece.

He received only negatives.

"I hope she's all right..." he said before getting back to work.

* * *

In her room, Allis huddled under her desk.

"He started... Maybe... Maybe if I stay here, he'll just forget about me... Maybe I won't have to... to..."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Someone... please save me..."

* * *

Strong Man pulled on the exit doors again, but to no avail. The Evil Duelists had done something to them! They should have swung open easily, but instead, they seemed sealed shut... But they weren't even locked! The unaffiliated students he was protecting watched anxiously.

After a few minutes, he gave up pulling on the door... Just in time to see Bubble casually push open the door from the outside and stroll in. The students backed away from her instinctively.

"It's only locked from the inside, Precious," she said, blowing him a kiss before walking away. "And definitely not for me."

Livid, he strained to hold onto the now open door, but it was slowly forcing itself closed again.

"GO GO GO GO GO!" Screaming in pain, he managed to hold it open just long enough for the students he had gathered to leave.

The door slammed shut, and Strong Man dropped to the floor, exhausted.

"I need a vacation..."

* * *

Hikari growled under her breath. She'd just been delayed by a god-breathed little twit for the last twenty minutes, but now she was free to do something urgent.

Reaching her room, she pulled out her cellphone and hit the speed dial.

"It's time," she said. She heard the response, then hung up, took a deep breath, and set out to find another opponent.

* * *

"GEARFRIED, FINISH THE DUEL WITH IRON SLASH!"

"GO OCEAN DRAGON LORD - NEO DAEDALUS! DEEP SEA DRAGON STRIKE!"

Rex and Ami breathed a sigh of relief as their monster struck hard, saving their skins from a trip to the shadow realm.

"Do you get the feeling we're in over our heads?" asked Rex.

"I'm an ocean duelist. I usually AM in to deep."

He sighed. "You just HAD to say it, didn't you?"

"Sorry. CV's rubbing off on me."

Rex just nodded. "Let's move. There's probably another of those guys around here somewhere, and I've got no intention of being a target."

Ami looked at the empty disks before them.

"I just hope none of our friends were wearing those..."

* * *

"There's an old saying," said Void. "Speak softly and carry a large stick."

He looked down at the unconscious Evil Duelists that had made the mistake of trying to jump him. He checked his tonfas for damage and reached for some rope from his backpack. He quickly and efficiently began tying them up.

"But if I carried a big stick, you idiots wouldn't have tried this stunt. I guess we learn new things every day."

* * *

CV stared down an evil duelist that, going by the insane amount of jewelry he was wearing, could only be known as Bling.

"Yo yo yo, Warrior! I've got you backed into a corner, holmes!"

"...Do you speak english, by any chance?"

"Yo, don't be hatin'! Just be surrendering, 'cause ipso facto, you're done."

It seemed that he might be right.

His field was full of facedown cards, and his monster was impressive, a behemoth CV had never heard of called Golden Goblin. Normally, it was powerless, but if you sacrificed two monsters and any number of life points, it gained their strength AND those life points. And he'd powered this thing up massively. The monster had been tearing through his defenses like a hot knife through butter, and his only defense was Winged Kuriboh, which was currently in defense mode, and two face downs, one of which Bling was convinced was Transcendant Wing.

CyberV: 100

Bling: 3100

Golden Goblin: 10000/0

Winged Kuriboh: 300/200

He was smart, too... He didn't attack Kuriboh because he knew it would make any direct attacks useless for the turn. So he kept removing it from the field to CV's hand.

"Yo! Either surrender or make a move, boss."

"I'll make a move then," said CV. He drew. "I play Soul Release!" The card appeared and glowed. "This lets me remove five cards in my graveyard from play!" Five cards ejected from his graveyard. He pocketed them.

"You're gonna bring out those fly vehicles, ain'tcha? Ain't gonna do you no good. I'm ready for their effects, and you can't bring out all five anyway!"

"True, I can't use my Vehicles to the fullest with Winged Kuriboh on the field... But, then again, who said I was gonna use them at all?" CV smirked. "First, I switch Winged Kuriboh to attack mode!" Winged Kuriboh cooed, confused.

"You're trippin', man! That's just whack!"

"The only whacking here is what I'm about to inflict on you," said CV. "REVEAL RETURN FROM THE DIFFERENT DIMENSION!" The trap card rose up, and a portal opened up above the field. However, instead of the V-Z vehicles, it began to rain people instead, quickly filling CV's field.

CyberV: 50

Bling: 3100

"Meet the Oppressed People, the People Running About, and the United Resistance. Oh, and my Fire Sorcerer." The hordes of people glared at the Golden Goblin while Fire Sorcerer straightened her dress.

Fire Sorcerer: 1000/1500

Oppressed People: 400/2000

People Running About: 600/600

United Resistance: 1000/400

"You are yankin' my chain, bro! They're wimps!"

"Wrong. It's said that when the Oppressed People, the People Running About, and the United Resistance come together, they can overcome ANYTHING... By bringing about a HUGE REVOLUTION!" CV's second facedown rose up, revealing the potent trap card.

"And now I activate the trap, which sends all the cards on your fiend and in your hand to the graveyard!"

The massive horde of people began running forward, swarming the Golden Goblin and stabbing the facedown cards with pitchforks and torches. The facedown spells and traps shattered, and the Goblin was broken down by pickaxes. The leader of the rebellion walked up to Bling and swatted his cards from his hand.

"THIS IS RANK, YO!"

"No, it's really not... NOW ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY!" The rebellious people turned towards Bling and began throwing their weapons at him. Amazingly, Bling managed to dodge all but a well aimed tomato that struck him in the face.

CyberV: 50

Bling: 1100

"You little..."

"FIRE SORCERER! FLAME SPELL!" Fire Sorcerer snapped her fingers, and flames shot up around Bling, making his overabundance of gold chains too hot to handle. In pain, he tossed them aside.

"Sorry. Guess bling ain't my thing, yo," said CV.

CyberV: 50

Bling: 100

"Y'all gonna PAY for this, fo shizzle!"

"Whatever you said, I'm fairly certain I won't be paying for it. Winged Kuriboh? Sic 'im." Winged Kuriboh cooed happily and flew forward, ramming right into Bling's flapping mouth and sending him flying. He crashed into a wall and slid down to the floor, out cold.

CyberV: 50

Bling: 0

"Checkmate!" CV snapped his fingers as Bling vanished, leaving his disk and jewelry behind. CV kicked the necklaces and decided to move on. He had to stop Ramesus, and these idiots were just slowing him down.

"I think this is one case where I'll hate the player AND the game..."

* * *

"PERFECT MACHINE KING! FINAL STRIKE!" Perfect Machine King lashed out, striking at the Sinister Serpent across the battlefield. Sinister Serpent shattered, and an Evil Duelist cried out as he began to fade away.

"Well, that was invigorating... Ummm... Where did he go?" The would-be victim, a student going by the name of Mech, was just utterly confused by what just happened. "This is by far the most unlikely thing to ever happen."

"You wish," said Nat, coming up behind the unaffiliated student. "Mech, right? You'd better come with me."

"I know you. You're the Cyber Dragon Queen."

Nat nodded. "Now come on. There's a war on, and you just got drafted."

* * *

"ATTACK WITH LEAF ARROW!" Arcane Archer of the Forest let loose at the command of an unaffiliated duelist named Forest. It easily pierced his opponent, taking away some of the evil duelist's life points.

Forest: 350

Evil Duelist: 1300

"You're finished," boasted the duelist... before a fist lashed out and struck him in the face.

"No," said Jay. "You're finished. Looks like this duel's a draw." The evil duelist sank down, stunned.

"Woah..." Forest was impressed. "Let me guess... The world's about to end? I'm guessing you could use an extra hand, and this sounds like fun, so-"

"MOVE IT!" ordered Jay. "There's lunatics everywhere, and if they find you again, you might not see another day."

Forest looked at the dazed Evil Duelist, and after a second's hesitation, moved to follow.

* * *

Magmar the Mighty's club swung down, clearing the field of all opposition.

"Good work!" called out Ashes to her monster.

"I'm worried," said Flame Sprite, appearing. "All the attacks seem so... random."

"I know," said Ashes. "It's like Ramesus wants to create panic before he makes his real move."

"Well, he's doing a good job of it," noted the Sprite.

* * *

Hikari was sick of the guy challenging her and they'd just gotten started. His name was Shiv. He was some kind of blade loving freak show.

Shiv: 8000

Hikari: 8000

"I'll start this off," said Shiv, "by summoning Chopman the Desperate Outlaw in attack mode!" The zombie killer appeared.

Chopman the Desperate Outlaw: 1100/500

"And I'll equip him with the spell card Ripper Knife." A spell card appeared, and a wicked blade appeared in Chopman's hand. "This doubles the attack of one Chopman on the field, and he gains an extra 800 points for every card I discard from my hand." He tossed out his remaining four cards. That gives him a grand total of 5400 attack points!"

Chopman: (equipped) 5400/500

"Your move, lunchmeat."

"About time!" said Hikari as she drew. "I summon Armed Samurai - Ben Kei!" The battle-ravaged warrior appeared.

Armed Samurai - Ben Kei: 500/800

"He's kinda weak, sweetheart," said Shiv, taking out a switchblade and proceeding to play with it.

"Not for long, 'Sugar'," she said with disgust. "I'll equip him with Fusion Sword Murasume Blade! It gives him an extra 800 attack points!"

Armed Samurai - Ben Kei: (equipped) 1300/800

"And now I'll add Axe of Despair, which grant shim another thousand attack points!" The axe appeared on Ben Kei's hand.

Armed Samurai - Ben Kei: (equipped) 2300/800

"And now another 500 points by adding Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou!" A dark sword appeared on Ben Kei's back.

Armed Samurai - Ben Kei: (equipped) 2800/800

"And let's not forget Gravity Axe - Gnarl! Another 500 attack points!"

Armed Samurai - Ben Kei: (equipped) 3300/800

"So he's tougher. You're still nowhere near my monster's power and you only have one card left!"

"The one I need, moron," said Hikari. "Shooting Star Bow - Ceal. It reduces my monster's attack by 1000, but it lets him attack you directly." She smirked. "Oh, and as a bonus, Ben Kei's ability lets him attack once for every card equipped to him. Buh-bye."

Armed Samurai - Ben Kei: (equipped) 2300/800

Ben Kei leapt forward and fired five arrows from the Star Bow, directly into Shiv's chest.

Shiv: 0

Hikari: 8000

"Not good..." He fell backwards, his monster vanishing.

"Looks like you're outta here!" Hikari thumbed her nose at Shiv as he vanished.

"Impressive," said a voice behind her. She turned to see Poison applauding.

"Poison..." She tensed, unsure if he wanted a duel or to talk.

"That's what I like about you... You're a fighter... but this is a fight you just can't hope to win..."

* * *

Ramesus continued stalking the halls. With every soul stolen... with every person banished, his power grew. He hadn't even lifted a finger, and already his power had nearly doubled in just the last hour. Soon, he would have all he needed.

"Sir," said Kuno, coming up to him with Fury. "We've found the one you've been seeking."

"Excellent work, my dear," said Ramesus. "Fury, make sure the right people know. Kuno, take me to him."

"Right away."

* * *

The voice inside Jimbo's head was pleased by the chaos and carnage being wrought.

Soon, it mused, it would be ready to strike.

* * *

Ami cheered as her Kaiser Sea Horse won her second duel of the war.

"I haven't seen you this exuberant in ages," noted Rex.

"Why shouldn't I be?" asked Ami. "I just heard from Drift, and it sounds like so far, the good guys are winning." She grinned. "At this rate, the missing students will be back in no time!"

"Good," said Rex. "I'm glad to hear you're so confident."

"Hey, my boyfriend's destined to save the world. It's hard to be worried. Long as he's around, we've got nothing to be afraid of."

* * *

"BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON! SUPREME LIGHTNING BLAST!" Mokuba felt no joy as he won his first battle. He knew that it just meant two more souls to feed Ramesus' power.

But there was nothing else he could do... Stopping Ramesus would be up to CyberV, and everyone knew it.

He just hoped the rookie was truly up to the challenge. He still remembered the day he first saw the Warrior in action, facing Mouse in the initiation duel. It was hard to believe that just a few hours earlier, he'd been someone without the confidence to ever win a duel.

He'd never quite figured out how the rookie had overcome that handicap... He was just glad he had. Especially now that they needed him more than ever.

* * *

Jay left Forest and moved on, eager to help put an end to this. If he could take out one of Ramesus' big guns...

"Well well well, what have we here?" Fury stepped out from behind a corner. "Seems it's the sidekick, out for a stroll."

Jay's eyes narrowed. "I'm no sidekick."

"Sure you're not. Explains why you contributed so much to that tag team duel a few months back."

Jay saw red. It still rankled him that CV had almost won the duel against Sonny and Carly all on his own. Yes, he'd helped, but he hadn't even needed to summon a monster to do it.

"And then your girl goes and kisses your new best friend, too... Such a pity."

"THAT WASN'T ASHES!" He couldn't help but remember the recent possession fiasco. They were still scraping the meat sauce off the ceiling.

"Of course it wasn't," said Fury. "But I'll bet it still hurt. But not as much as it'll hurt to lose your OLD best friend..."

Jay's eyes widened. He grabbed Fury by the collar. "Where?"

"Arena 3. Better hurry. Show's about to start."

Jay tossed Fury aside and ran as fast as he possibly could.

"Pleasure doing business with you," said Fury, chuckling.

* * *

Shadow stared down his opponent.

His opponent stared back just as hard.

Then Shadow sweatdropped. "OKAY, I AM NOT DUELING THIS STUPID BOULDER!" He turned and walked away, leaving Spider-Rock undefeated.

* * *

"Shining Abyss!" CyberV had found another Evil Duelist needing to be stopped. "FINISH IT WITH BLINDING DARKNESS!" Shining Abyss let loose with a miasma of blackest night that swallowed up the King of the Skull Servants.

As another evil duelist faded, CV paused to catch his breath. The endless dueling was just as exhausting as some of Ikke's more intense training sessions.

"This is getting us nowhere," he admitted aloud.

"You said it," said Rocket Warrior. "I'm tired just from WATCHING you!"

"We need to find Ramesus and finish this."

"Any ideas how?"

"One," said CV. "Keep moving and pray."

* * *

"Let me go!" Ramesus entered the arena and grinned. It was perfect. He watched as McMike and Greekman restrained Tapkar, a pitiful little nobody notable only as Jay's friend.

"Of course." He snapped his fingers, and Greekman and McMike released his arms. "Now prepare yourself," said Ramesus. "I intend to duel you and steal your very soul."

Tapkar couldn't help but shake. He'd heard that Ramesus was nuts, but this was crazier than anything he'd heard.

"Duel me or your soul is forfeit." Greekman took Tapkar's disk from his bag and moved to force it onto the petrified duelist's arm.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jay burst into the room with a serious mad-on.

"I see you got my invitation," said Ramesus. "Right on time."

"JAY!" exclaimed Tapkar. "Am I ever glad to see you!"

"Just relax," he said to his friend. "I'll get you out of this." He turned to Ramesus. You've got some nerve going after Tapkar," accused Jay. "Show some guts! Take on someone that's prepared for you!"

"Are you volunteering?" asked Ramesus. "How noble. How inspiring. How stupid."

Jay activated his duel disk.

"You and me, Ramesus. Let's go. This time, I'm gonna be the big hero!"

"The only thing you are going to do," said Ramesus as he donned his duel disk, "is fall, and bring me my ultimate victory."

The two duelists exchanged stares. Each probed the other for weaknesses.

"GAME ON!" yelled the both of them simultaneously, beginning a deadly game of destiny...

And all over the Academy, the war continued to rage on...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Strive Against the Darkness! Jay vs. Ramesus!


	33. Strive Against the Darkness!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The war finally began, with Evil's sudden attacks of students on campus. While Good responded in force, Strong Man discovered that the doors were sealed from the inside by shadow magic. Jimbo donned an amulet made of the remains of the Pyramid of Light, and subsequently began acting strangely. Allis cowered in her room, afraid that Ramesus would call on her. While finishing off an evil duelist, Hikari found herself face to face with Poison. Ramesus launched a plan he claimed would destroy the Warrior of the Balance... by targeting Tapkar, a move that lured Jay to Arena 3... and a waiting Ramesus, more than ready for a deadly shadow game...

* * *

Jay and Ramesus sized each other up in a heartbeat. On one side, a madman with shadow powers out to destroy the world. On the other, one of the Good Duelists, willing to stop him at any cost.

"GAME ON!"

Jay: 8000

Ramesus: 8000

"You're a sick, sick puppy, Ramesus," said Jay. "Someone's gotta put an end to this before every student on campus vanishes, and I nominate me!"

"You're only nominating yourself to join the ranks of the doomed," said Ramesus. "Make your opening move, so I can proceed with your demise."

Jay drew his sixth card. "One monster facedown, and one surprise for later," he said as two cards appeared on his field.

"And if that's the best you can do," said Ramesus, "I've already won!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 33: Strive Against the Darkness! Jay Vs. Ramesus!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Jay, and Ramesus

* * *

"I suppose congratulations are in order," said Ramesus. "You have the honor of being my first victim in this war."

"I'm no victim. I'm the hero."

"You're the sidekick and, deep down, you know it." Ramesus grinned. "Why else would you be so desperate to face me that you didn't bother calling for your friends on that little device you're wearing?"

Jay narrowed his eyes.

"But feel free to prove me wrong. Go ahead and call them, for all the good it will do. No doubt the Warrior will come and valiantly save the day like he always does. And, in the process, he'll overshadow you once again."

"Shut up!" barked Jay. "Just make your move!"

"If you insist..." said Ramesus, drawing a card. "I play Nobleman of Crossout!" He placed the card into his field zone, and a blonde-haired knight appeared.

"But that's a monster... isn't it?"

"I'm afraid not," said Ramesus. "You see, this is a spell card with a very special ability... IT CAN ANNIHILATE A FACEDOWN MONSTER! GO WITH CROSSOUT BLADE!" The Nobleman charged forward and rammed his blade through the facedown monster card. UFO Turtle appeared and shattered.

"My Turtle!"

"Is soup meat," said Ramesus. "And now I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared on his field.

"Well if I can't have a facedown monster, YOU sure can't have a facedown trap! REVEAL MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" The quickplay spell rose up, and a massive wind took the field, shattering Ramesus' facedown card.

"Well played," admitted Ramesus. "You destroyed my Torrential Tribute, but no matter. I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in attack mode!" The armored female warrior appeared, sword at the ready.

D.D. Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"And I do believe you're out of surprises for this round... WARRIOR LADY! DIRECT ATTACK!" D.D. Warrior Lady ran forward and slashed Jay with her blade.

Jay: 6500

Ramesus: 8000

"That will do for now," said Ramesus.

"About time..." Jay drew. "Perfect." He placed his new card in a spell zone. "I play Lightning Vortex!" The card appeared on the field. "Now, I'll discard one card from my hand!" He did so, sending it to the graveyard. "And your Warrior Lady bites the dust!" Lightning lashed out, vaporizing the female warrior.

"I see you intend to turn the tables. Excellent. This might be a challenge after all..."

"I'll show you a challenge... I summon my Solar Flare Dragon!" His fiery beast appeared.

Solar Flare Dragon: 1500/1000

"Now attack with solar squeeze!" Solar Flare Dragon lashed out, wrapping around Ramesus. Frighteningly, he didn't seem to be reacting to the attack.

Jay: 6500

Ramesus: 6500

"Amusing. Mildly."

Solar Flare Dragon returned to Jay's field.

"And there's more. While my Dragon's on the field, during each of my end phases, you take an additional 500 points of damage!" Flames erupted around Ramesus.

Jay: 6500

Ramesus: 6000

"That's it for now."

"Excellent," said the Creator as he appeared next to Jay. "But thou must call the others! He's too dangerous to tarry with!"

"I can handle him," said Jay. "I have to. So far, it's all been up to CyberV and the others. Every time I've tried to help, things go wrong..." He flashed back to the warehouse duel on the first day of school. "I messed up that day... Almost got him and Ashes killed." His memory flashed again, to Ashes' duel with her brother. "And when Ashes needed me, I was stuck playing cheerleader instead of being able to protect her. Well, not THIS time."

He looked at Tapkar, who was as afraid as anyone ever could be.

"I can save him. I can save everyone! I just have to hang on and outplay this psycho."

"...Very well... But be wary that pride goethe before the fall..."

Ryu Kokki appeared behind Ramesus. "The battle goes well," he mused. "Soon, you shall have all the power you need to put phase two of our plan into motion."

"Yes," agreed Ramesus. "And as a bonus, within the hour, the Warrior will be just a distant memory..."

"Jay..." whispered Tapkar, unsure what to do.

* * *

"Poison..." Hikari braced herself. The magician was unpredictable. She knew he wanted to protect her, but he was still one of Ramesus' goons, and that meant he was capable of anything.

"I hope you added that Dark Magician to your deck," he said.

"I did."

"Good. I don't have long. Ramesus is using the war as a cover for a larger plan. You have to warn your friends."

"Warm them about what?"

"Ramesus has been boasting that the Warrior will fall before the day is done. I can't be sure why, but he thinks someone else is the key to pulling this stunt off."

"He could be lying," warned Flame Swordsman.

"No... It's crazy enough to be true. Do you know who it is?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you. Just keep a close eye on your friends. Word to the wise." He turned to leave.

"HOLD IT!" yelled Hikari. "Who's side are you really on? You help us, but you side with Ramesus. And there've been rumors that you've been banishing people to the Shadow Realm."

"I won't deny that last part. I don't have a choice. If Ramesus knew I was helping you, he'd banish me, too, and then I couldn't protect you from him."

"THAT kind of protection," said Hikari, turning away in disgust, "I don't need."

"WAIT!"

Her voice turned cold and hard. "For what? Will listening to you explain yourself bring those people back? I doubt it. Thanks for the information." Without a backwards glance, she walked away.

Poison watched her go, and cursed the fact that she was right.

* * *

"You haven't beaten me yet!" warned an evil duelist called Bones. "I still have my Scapegoats to protect me!"

CyberV sighed. This was just sad. His field was empty, save for the powerful Meteor Dragon on his field and the facedown behind it. But attacking a Scapegoat was a waste of time.

CyberV: 4100

Bones: 8000

Meteor Dragon: 1800/2000

Scapegoat (x4) : 0/0

"Not for long," he said. "First, I reveal my Monster Reborn!" The card rose up and glowed. "Ad I choose to resurrect my Shing Abyss!" The card vanished and Shing Abyss, a strange mechanical fairy, appeared.

Shining Abyss: 1600/1800

"And next, I play A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon!" The card appeared on the field. "Now, by returning Meteor Dragon to my hand..." Meteor Dragon flew into the air and burst into flames. "I can destroy all the spells and traps on your field." The flaming Meteor Dragon flapped it's wings, and the Scapegoat card shattered, sending the four token monsters away.

"NO! I'm wide open!"

"Yes... So now I'll summon Dark Blade in attack mode!" The dragon tamer appeared, garbed in dark armor.

Dark Blade: 1800/1500

"And I'll equip him with the union monster Kiryu!" Kiryu appeared, a vicious looking red dragon that Dark Blade leapt upon to use as a mighty winged steed. "It gives him an extra 900 attack and defense points."

"Oh man..."

Dark Blade (equipped) : 2700/2400

"NOW ATTACK DIRECTLY WITH TAMED DRAGON'S FLAME!" Kiryu let loose with a torrent of flame, striking Bones head on.

CyberV: 4100

Bones: 5300

"And now I'll play a spell called Combination Attack! It splits my Union monster into two separate monsters!" Dark Blade left Kiryu, and CV placed Kiryu in a monster zone.

Dark Blade: 1800/1500

Kiryu: 2000/1500

"And they can attack again, too!" Dark Blade slashed with his sword, while Kiryu blew another torrent of flames. Bones took both and, surprisingly, kept his footing.

CyberV: 4100

Bones: 1500

"Finally..." said CV, "SHINING ABYSS! FINISH IT WITH BLINDING DARKNESS!" Shining Abyss raised it's hands and beams of light and dark lanced out, striking Bones head on.

CyberV: 4100

Bones: 0

Bones dropped to his knees. "I lost..."

"Serves you right for helping Ramesus," said CV. "But don't worry... You'll have a lot of company where you're going."

Bones began to fade away. CV didn't even stay to watch it happen.

* * *

Ramesus felt Bones' failure. "It seems the Warrior's on a bit of a banishment spree. Can't say I blame him. The feeling can be intoxicating. In fact, it seems all your friends are doing well, just as my lieutenants all remain in play." Hearing that, Greekman and McMike smirked.

"This is as it should be. The students we each collected? Nothing but cannon fodder to be used and discarded as we see fit."

Jay growled. "THEY'RE PEOPLE! And they're NOT disposable!"

"And yet, instead of trying to help one escape, you recruit them," said Ramesus, referring to Forest, the duelist Jay had aided only a short time before. "Seems a wee bit irresponsible, doesn't it?" he asked, smirking.

He drew a card. "But in any case, onwards and upwards we go... And I play a spell card called Brain Control! Now, I pay 800 life points to activate it's effect."

Jay: 6500

Ramesus: 5200

"And now, I claim your Solar Flare Dragon for the rest of the turn!" A giant brain appeared, and spectral hands reached out and grabbed Solar Flare Dragon before depositing him on Ramesus' side of the field.

"Now I'll place one monster facedown..." A card appeared on Ramesus' monster zone. "And attack you with your own creature!" Solar Flare Dragon zipped forward and wrapped around Jay in a burning deathgrip.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Jay screamed in pain until his dragon released him and returned to Ramesus' side of the field.

Jay: 5000

Ramesus: 5200

"And of course, his effect now activates, doing 500 in damage to you!" Flames erupted around Jay.

Jay: 4500

Ramesus: 5200

"Of course, now he returns to you. But he's done his job, hasn't he?" Ramesus chuckled.

Furious, Jay drew.

"That's it... I'm taking this psycho DOWN!"

"Control thy anger," warned the Creator. "He wishes for thy anger to cloud thy judgement. Call the others, lest he succeed in his dark plans!"

"I don't need them," said Jay. "I can do this."

"Mayhap," allowed the Creator. "But they need YOU."

Jay let that sink in. He slowly reached up and tapped his communications port.

"Oh good. Calling in the cavalry!" Ramesus grinned. "I knew you were a coward."

"Better a coward than a fool," said Jay. "The Creator's right. I won't let you trick me into fighting alone when I don't have to. Guys, if you can hear me, get to Arena 3 right away! I've found Ramesus."

* * *

Across the campus, the eyes of the Good Duelists widened a little.

In the east wing, Ashes was the first to respond. "I'm on the way! Hang on!" She turned to Mech. "Just look for duelists with white duel disks. They'll fill you in." Not waiting for a response, she ran as fast as she could.

"On it," said Nat, who had been in the process of mopping up some no name Mokey Mokey duelist. "I'll be there soon as I can!"

"Hang on, buddy!" said CV. "We've got your back!"

* * *

"I'm about to destroy a legacy. How awesome for me..." The evil duelist known only as the Annihilator grinned.

"Just make your move, creep," said Hikari.

Hikari: 8000

Destroyer: 8000

"With pleasure. I summon Attack Hoarder!" An absolutely vicious beast warrior appeared.

Attack Hoarder: 0/0

"And before you think he's weak, check out his special ability. He allows me to send as many monsters from my deck as I want to the graveyard!" Over twenty cards ejected from Annihilator's deck.

"So?"

"So, now he gains their combined attack strength until after my battle phase! And since I can't attack in the opening turn, he keeps his power until the next round!" Attack Hoarder grew gigantic, towering over the field.

Attack Hoarder: 52100/0

"No sweat," said Hikari. "My move!" She drew. "I play Pot of Greed! Now I can draw two more cards!" She smirked. "I play Double Fusion!"

Double Fusion appeared on the field.

"What's that?"

"It's simple," said Hikari. "I pay 500 life points."

Hikari: 7500

Annihilator: 8000

"And now I can perform two fusion summons in a row! First, I'll fuse Masaki the Legendary Swordsman and Flame Manipulator to summon my Flame Swordsman!" The two monsters appeared, swirled together, and Flame Swordsman emerged.

"I live to serve."

"But of course. And that's not all. Now I'll fuse Flame Swordsman with the Dark Magician in my hand!" Dark Magician appeared, and he and Flame Swordsman leapt up to fuse.

"Meet the Dark Flare Knight!" The two monsters combined, coming down as a black and red armored warrior.

Dark Flare Knight: 2200/800

"Is that all? He's weaker than the Dark Magician!"

"Nowhere NEAR all! Now I activate Polymerization!" The spell rose up. "And I'll fuse the Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One!" A holy woman and a black angel appeared, before spiraling together. "Meet the mighty St. Joan!" An armored woman right out of the Crusades arose on the field, sword at the ready.

St. Joan: 2800/2000

"And now... DARK FLARE KNIGHT! ATTACK HIS HOARDER!" Dark Flare Knight leapt into the air and slashed at Attack Hoarder.

"You just cost yourself the duel," scoffed Annihilator. "I win!"

"Wrong!" Dark Flare Knight's sword shattered, and Attack Hoarder sliced him in half, causing him to erupt. "My life points are perfectly safe, thank you. Dark Flare Knight has two very special abilities. First, any damage I'd get from using him in battle becomes 0. And second, when he's destroyed in battle, I can summon from my deck the unstoppable MIRAGE KNIGHT!" From the debris of Dark Flare Knight, a warrior with golden armor rose up, taking his place by Hikari's side.

Mirage Knight: 2800/2000

"He's still pathetically weak."

"Well, yeah... Until he attacks some giant, stupid, overblown steamroller like your Attack Hoarder... GO GET HIM, KNIGHT!" Mirage Knight took to the air and began to glow.

"He'll die!"

"If you mean Attack Hoarder, you're right. You see, Mirage Knight adds the attack strength of the monster he fights with to his own attack!"

Mirage Knight: 54800/2000

"But that means..."

"NAIL HIM!" Mirage Knight blasted forward, rocketing right through Attack Hoarder. The monster erupted like a volcano.

Hikari: 7500

Annihilator: 5200

"I... I don't believe it..." He dropped to his knees. "Just like that... all my monsters are gone..."

"And that's not all!" said Hikari. "ST. JOAN! CRUSADE SLASH!" The female knight ran forward and slashed Annihilator.

Hikari: 7500

Annihilator: 2400

"And if you thought the pain was done, you've forgotten that I still have one card in my hand... Defusion!" St. Joan glowed and split into Marie the Fallen One and the Forgiving Maiden.

Marie the Fallen One: 1700/1200

The Forgiving Maiden: 850/2000

"MARIE! ANGEL WING FEATHER STORM!" The fallen angel flapped her wings, and the feathers spiraled around Annihilator.

Hikari: 7500

Annihilator: 700

"And now, Forgiving Maiden? Slap some sense into this jerk!" The holy woman walked forward and simply smacked Annihilator.

Hikari: 7500

Annihilator: 0

"My monsters... All gone... My monsters..." He just kept muttering about his creatures as he faded away.

With that handled, Hikari tapped her comlink. "On the way, Jay."

* * *

Ramesus grinned. "I knew you'd call them. In fact, I was counting on it." He closed his eyes for a second and allowed his mind to wander psychically through the hallways.

"Kuno," he said aloud. "The Warrior is alone in corridor 7-J. You know what to do."

"What have you done?!"

"It's what WE did," said Ramesus. "Now that everyone of relevance is on the way here, and the Warrior's so deeply concerned for his friend, that he'll be vulnerable. My thanks." He bowed.

"You lousy..."

"Now now... Language..."

"JAY!" yelled Tapkar. "Just get out of here! This guy's out of his mind!"

"I know," said Jay. "But I don't leave my friends when they need me."

"How noble. How foolish. Now make your move so I can proceed with your demise."

"With pleasure!" Jay looked at his hand. "Time to see what you've got under the hood," he said, looking at Ramesus' facedown monster. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Energy blades appeared around Ramesus and his facedown card. "Now you can't attack for three turns, and your facedown goes face up!"

"A mistake, I assure you," said Ramesus as his facedown came up. "Meet the Gravekeeper's Spy!" A cloaked man appeared on the field, crouching.

Gravekeeper's Spy: 1200/2000

"And why's that?"

"His special ability was activated when you used the Swords. Now, he can summon a Gravekeeper monster from my deck with 1500 or fewer attack points... And another Spy will do nicely!" A twin to the first monster appeared.

Gravekeeper's Spy 2: 1200/2000

"Now Solar Flare Dragon's effect activates," said Jay. "And you take another 500 in damage!" Flames erupted around Ramesus.

Jay: 4500

Ramesus: 4700

"A paltry amount of damage. Hardly worth worrying about," scoffed the leader of evil. "Now, before I take my next turn, do take some time to reflect on all you are about to lose."

Jay glared at Ramesus, wanting to throttle the creep every time he opened his mouth.

"You're going to lose your best friend," said Ramesus. "Your teammates... Your soul... Your entire world... And I'll take all of that away from you, laughing all the while. It will be DELICIOUS to watch you suffer for all eternity in the Shadow Realm, surrounded by those you could not hope to save."

He grinned. "So, shall I make my next move now?"

* * *

Allis was still huddled under her desk as she heard a knock at her door.

"Please go away please go away please oh please oh please just go away..."

"Allis," said Fury. "It's time."

Trembling, and having no choice, she got out from under the desk and, after a moment's hesitation, she opened the door.

"Very good," said Fury. "Strong Man goes on a while longer. I have your orders from Ramesus. THIS is what you're going to do..."

* * *

Jimbo watched as a Good Duelist with the guts to face him faded away.

"The fool. How dare he oppose me and expect to live?"

Jimbo knew it was not his voice saying this. In fact, he no longer really cared. At this point, more than anything, he was merely along for the ride.

But at least there was plenty of carnage and despair to enjoy...

* * *

Strong Man hurtled the chair at the door, only to watch in disbelief as it bounced off.

"This is nuts. Bubble can open it but I can't? She can hold it forever while I nearly broke my arms just wedging it open for a few seconds?"

"It's magic," said Mokuba as he came up with a group of students. "And until we can find a way to break the spell, we're not going anywhere. Come on. I could use some help protecting the other students."

Strong Man looked at the perplexing doors. "All right. Let's do it."

* * *

CyberV reached the end of the hall and hesitated.

"What's wrong?" asked Rocket Warrior.

"It's too quiet," said CV. "It feels wrong."

"If quiet feels wrong, I don't wanna be right," said the spirit.

"That explains the food fight..." muttered CV.

"I SAID I WAS SORRY! GEEZ!"

"In any case, I've got a really bad feeling about going further."

"Well we've gotta," said Rocket Warrior. "Jay needs us!" Red-Eyes nodded in agreement.

"Fine, but keep your eyes open."

Cautiously, CV stepped out, looked around, and kept going. He was about halfway through the area when a card flew out of nowhere, missed his cheek by a millimeter, and imbedded itself in the brick wall to his immediate left.

CV turned in the direction the card came in and saw Kuno, grinning maliciously. With her were at least two dozen Evil Duelists, and they didn't look interested in a friendly duel.

"Oh, just what I needed. The evil side of my fan club. Listen, guys... If you REALLY want an autograph that badly, you'll need to schedule a time. Right now, my calendar is packed. So if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh, I think you'll MAKE time," said Kuno. "GET HIM!"

CV sweatdropped. "God, you try to be civil, and they start shouting old cliches like that. Kids. No manners these days..."

The evil duelists quickly blocked every exit and began to close in from all sides.

"I don't suppose this is a bad time to point out that you're making me late for a very pressing engagement..."

"GRAH!" A burly duelist lunged at CV, who, ducked under the lunge, spun, and tripped the guy, who lost his balance and hit the floor chin first.

"I'm guessing that, yes, it's a bad idea..." He winced. "I suggest you get the infirmary and get that checked out." Before he could continue quipping, another one grabbed him from behind. CV quickly shoved upwards with his legs, getting the guy off balance and forcing him to let go. He then grabbed the guy by the wrist and flipped him over his shoulder.

"Idiots..." muttered Kuno.

"Guys," said CV, tapping his comlink. "Main Area J. I've got company and I could use an assist."

"I've got it," said Mouse.

"Count me in," added Void.

"Calling for help? Predictable." Kuno flipped in and thrust her arm out, just missing the side of CV's head but knocking the comlink away. CV groaned slightly as one of the thugs stepped on it, producing a loud crunch.

Then he returned his attention to Kuno, who wasn't about to let up her assault. She performed an efficient tornado kick that CV barely rolled under, and followed up with a reverse thrust that got him in the arm, sending a blinding pain through his side.

"Pressure points. Wanna see the ones that REALLY hurt?" she asked.

"No thanks. I saw that episode of Batman already."

Growling, Kuno redoubled her attack, forcing CV to try and dodge her rapid jabs and kicks, even as she herded him towards her cheering squad.

"Some Warrior. You can't even put up a decent fight!"

"I'd disagree," said Mouse, from behind one of the duelists. The guy found his arm wrenched behind his back painfully. "I've seen him when he's firing on all cylinders. "Not as good as me, but he'll get the job done."

"Of course," said Void, cracking another over the head with one of his tonfas, "he'll long since have irritated you into submission, sister."

"Thanks," said CV, shoving the distracted Kuno back. "...I think."

"Enough of this idiocy," said Mouse. "We need to end this quickly. The others need us."

"Bring it on," challenged Kuno.

CV sighed. "This is gonna be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG day..."

* * *

"JAY!" yelled Ashes as she and Nat reached Arena 3. "We're here!"

"Just in time," said Ramesus. "To watch him fall."

"Last I checked," said Jay, "we were almost even, so save your boasts for someone that'll listen and make your move."

"You'll regret that bravado soon enough," said Ramesus. He drew a card. "I play Soul Exchange!" The spell card rose up. "Now I can sacrifice one of YOUR monsters for a tribute summon!"

Before Jay's eyes, Solar Flare Dragon faded away.

"Not good..."

"Indeed," said Ramesus as black snow began to fall. "For now, with your precious Dragon as my sacrifice, I summon the mighty and nigh-unstoppable DARK MOBIUS, THE FROST BREAKER!" The snow became a blizzard, shattering the Swords of Revealing Light, before coalescing into a gigantic being of the blackest ice imaginable.

Dark Mobius, the Frost Breaker: 2400/1000

"NO!" exclaimed Ashes. "He's wide open!"

"Yes," said Ramesus. "Yes he is, my dear... And soon, he'll be nothing more than a memory!"

Jay braced himself for the blow he knew was coming.

"I'll stop you..." he swore. "I swear I'll find a way!"

Ramesus' laughter simply mocked that solemn vow...

* * *

The melee in area J was full on now. Mouse easily broke her latest assailant's arm with a simple and efficient grab and flip.

Void and Kuno were sizing each other up, trying to find a weakness to exploit.

"Make your move, brother."

"Only a fool would make the first move sister... So go right ahead."

CV kicked on duelist in the gut and silently bit back a curse. The longer this went on, the more danger Jay was in. If they didn't break through this in time... He shuddered to think of the consequences.

'Hang on, Jay... HANG ON!'

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Revenge for the Fallen: Ramesus' Vengeance!


	34. Ramesus' Vengeance!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The Evil Duelists at long last launched their war on the Good Duelists, resulting in students vanishing left and right. As the Good Duelists mobilized to save everyone trapped inside the Academy, Jay was drawn into a duel with Ramesus, with his soul on the line! Meanwhile, CyberV rushed to get to Jay's side, but was ambushed by Kuno and a fair number of Evil Duelists. Mouse and Void arrived, and the battle was on! But none of them were aware that Ramesus had forced Allis into working for him, and that she was being given her orders...

* * *

"This isn't good." Jay looked up at the massive frost giant looming over the field. Ramesus had just destroyed his every defense, leaving him wide open to a direct attack. Just as bad, Ramesus' life points were protected by his two defense mode Spies.

Jay: 4500

Ramesus: 4700

Dark Mobius the Frost Breaker: 2400/1000

Gravekeeper's Spy x2: 1200/2000

"Oh, don't look so distressed," said Ramesus. "After all, because I used Soul Exchange, I can't attack this turn."

Jay felt himself breathe a sigh of relief. How could he have forgotten something THAT basic? Ramesus must have shaken him worse than he'd realized.

"You're still in this!" said Ashes. "Take him down!"

"He doesn't stand a chance," said Greekman. "None of you do."

"We'll see about that," said Nat, coldly. "Take him down! You can save the entire world right here and now!"

Jay heard the girls and nodded. "Okay then... HERO TIME!" He drew and prepared to take the fight to Ramesus once and for all.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 34: Revenge for the Fallen: Ramesus' Vengeance!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Jay, and Ramesus

* * *

"Here we go..." said Jay, looking at his new card. "I place one monster facedown, and play the spell Skip Turn! Now, I can't attack you this turn, or use traps or other spells, but you skip your entire next turn!" The cards appeared, Skip Turn glowing.

"Clever. You use it to rapidly sacrifice your monster for something better. Well, I suggest you make the most of it. You need all the help you can get!"

"You want my best? You've got it!" Jay drew again. "Now I'll switch my facedown to attack mode! Come on out Stealth Bird!" The humanoid bird rose up.

Stealth Bird: 700/1700

"And she has a special ability. When she's flip summoned, you take 1000 points of damage!" Feathers swirled around Ramesus.

Jay: 4500

Ramesus: 3700

"And now I'll sacrifice my Bird for the Cybernetic Magician!" The Stealth Bird vanished, and in it's place came the white armored spellcaster.

Cybernetic Magician: 2400/1000

"Now destroy one of his Spies with Cyber Spell!" The Magician aimed his wand, and a wave of binary shot out, shattering the first Gravekeeper's Spy.

"That ends my turn," said Jay.

"A pitiful move, ultimately. I must say that it was pedantic and uninspired. No wonder you're just the sidekick."

"I'm NOBODY'S sidekick."

"And soon, you won't be anything at all. How appropo."

* * *

The fist came at CyberV's face from out of nowhere. The entire shot couldn't have taken more than two fifths of a second, but to CV, it seemed to be slow motion. He'd just ducked to the right to avoid a lunge from one of Kuno's cronies, which unfortunately set him up for another jerk's haymaker.

It connected with the force of a slow moving car, but he was able to roll with the blow, so it didn't hurt so badly. Still, it HURT.

"You have some SERIOUS social skills issues, you know that?!" he blurted out as the first creep grabbed him from behind and threw him to the ground.

Silently, he wished he knew how to access the reserves of power that he knew resided somewhere deep inside him. In the past, that power had always come out when he or his friends were in mortal peril... But he couldn't just force it to happen.

He recalled how that power had made his spirits solid, long enough to free him from the burning warehouse. He recalled how a burst of that power had increased his speed and agility, allowing him to disarm Blade and his thugs.

He would have welcomed either ability at this moment, but neither seemed likely. It looked like he was on his own.

...Well, almost.

He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that Mouse was doing way better than he was. She'd taken the majority of the playmates for herself, and was holding her own for now. Already, three of the attackers were down for the count, and a fourth was nursing an arm she'd broken about five seconds into the brawl.

Even as he watched, she managed to painfully wrench the arm of one of her attackers out of it's socket, causing the guy to scream in agony before dropping like a rock. Not pausing to admire her handiwork, she spun and judo chopped another right in his Adam's Apple, causing him to drop to the floor, choking.

It was genuinely scary how at home she was in a fight.

The same could be said of Void, who was facing off with his sister, Kuno, the one that had betrayed him most.

The two were still appraising one another. The creeps knew better than to interfere with this personal grudge.

"Make your move," said Void. "I've already lost you and my best friend to this madness. I don't have anything left to lose but my soul."

"You could still join us, brother," said Kuno. "Ramesus could give you such power!"

"At the cost of my honor. Never. I gave my word that I'd help protect this school, and I will, even if it means we must be enemies."

"Enemies it is, then!" said Kuno, suddenly whipping out a kunai throwing blade from nowhere and throwing it at her brother. Void saw it coming and caught it between two fingers. However, she used the opportunity to direct a slash kick towards his abdomen. He took it and grunted, even as she flipped away gracefully.

"You're getting slow in your old age, while I just get stronger every day!"

Void smirked at that. "Powerful, yes. Skilled, no." He threw the kunai aside and ran towards his sister. She braced herself to dodge a frontal attack, but at the last instant, he leapt over her head, came down behind her, and thrust his legs out, kicking her between her shoulder blades, knocking her to the floor face first.

Muttering under her breath, she took the momentum from the blow, caught herself with her hands, and turned it into a backflip that, combined with a quick pirouette, brought her face to face with Void once more.

"Clever move," she said.

"More than you know," said Void, as his sister suddenly lost her balance and landed on her rump. "During the initial chaos, I poured some liquid soap onto the floor in that area. I thought it might come to this."

Furious, Kuno gingerly got to her feet, now wary of the floor.

"FOCUS!" yelled Mouse. CV turned just in time to see a foot coming down on him. Without thinking, he rolled out of the way and managed to get back on his feet.

"Thanks!"

"Less talk, more action!" she said before returning to the brawl.

It seemed a prudent suggestion. They were more or less surrounded now, with no chance of a quick escape.

"GET 'EM!" yelled the ringleader. As one, they charged forward, most focusing on Mouse. Two grabbed CV's arms to hold him back.

"MOUSE!" Before his horrified eyes, Mouse was quickly being overwhelmed. One guy grabbed her wrist. She turned and clobbered him with her free hand, but that let another grab her by the waist and lift her off the ground. Off balance, she couldn't dodge as one punched her in the stomach.

The guy holding her released her, and she collapsed to her knees, in obvious pain.

Which was naturally when one of them pulled out a crowbar and patted his palm with it. "You're gonna pay for what you did to our friends, you little witch..." He raised the weapon up, ready to bring it down on her skull.

"NO!" yelled CV, feeling a sudden burst of energy. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it as his hair rose up and a glowing golden wdjat appeared on his forehead. With newfound strength, he thrust his arms forward, tossing his two captors with ease before darting forward, even as the bar came down... Only to stop, an inch from Mouse's head, as he grabbed it.

Astonished, the assailant turned to look at CV, who glared at the thug balefully.

"You just made your last mistake." He ripped the bar from the creep's hand and flung it, hitting another of the evil duelists in the face. The guy went down like a sack of bricks.

Mouse, recovering now, couldn't believe it.

'He changed again! Just like at the mall!'

"Mouse, you rest for a minute. I've got these guys."

She was in no condition to argue.

"You idiots have wasted enough of my time for one day. My friend needs my help, and if that means I have to take you clowns out along the way, so be it."

"You don't scare us. You fight like a wuss." The ringleader tried to cover up his fear with bravado, but his eyes kept darting to the glowing symbol on CV's head.

"Then by all means," said CV. "Begin round two." With no further preamble, he swung his fist and broke the ringleader's nose. The guy fell back, holding his nose and screaming in pain.

"You lousy-!" started another thug as they tried to swarm him. They learned that was a mistake as he quickly spun around and delivered a tornado kick to three of them at once.

"ONE!" said CV. "You serve my true enemy!" He ducked under a few punched before thrusting his palm upwards, hitting another in his sternum, making a satisfying crack.

"TWO!" he continued. "You threaten my friends!" He leapt up, ricocheted off the wall, and delivered a well timed kick to the ribs of a creep going for Mouse again. The guy slammed into the opposite wall and slumped down.

"THREE! You delay me when I am needed elsewhere!" One guy got it into his head to punch CV in the face. CV turned slightly and caught the guy's fist with his hand. With a casual twist, the guy was flipped onto his back, where CV proceeded to kick him hard on the right side.

"FOUR! You fight without honor!" Another thug picked up the crowbar and came at CV with it. Barely moving, CV stood his ground and dodged the first strike by darting to the right, the second by darting to the left, and retaliating by jabbing the guy four times quickly in the approximate location of his spleen. The guy dropped the bar and fell to his knees, prompting CV to spin and kick him in the face. The guy was down for the count before he hit the floor.

"FIVE! There's only one of me, and I've got you outnumbered. You don't stand a chance against me. I am the Warrior of the Balance! CYBERV!" He took a step forward, and the remaining thugs wisely stepped back. "And you're just a speed bump on the path to victory."

CyberV whipped out a card from his sidedeck's holster. "Fortunately, I have just the thing to flatten some speed bumps." He held up a spell card he hadn't used since his first trip to the Monster World. It began to glow. "YIN-YANG FUSION!"

There was a massive eruption. The thugs stepped back, astonished, as before their eyes, two monsters appeared... an ebony black Rocket Warrior and a teched out Red-Eyes.

"RED-EYES ROCKET WARRIOR! RED-EYES ROCKET DRAGON! Clean up this mess."

"You've got it!" said RERW as he mounted RERD.

"NUCLEAR DUAL FIRE!" The two monsters let loose with a barrage of rockets and flames that scattered the assailants.

"T-that thing's REAL!" yelped one. "LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!" One by one, they turned and ran for safety.

Kuno looked away from her battle with her brother to see the two powerful monsters.

"They don't frighten me as easily as my brethren," she said. "I can defeat them easily."

"Perhaps," said CV. "But first you must contend with where your brother threw your kunai."

Kuno blinked as CV said that. Slowly, she turned to see her blade sticking into the side of a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall. Right on cue, the extinguisher ejected the kunai with a massive stream of pressurized foam that knocked Kuno off her feet and to the ground.

"This isn't over!" she yelled as her blood red wdjat flared up, filling the hall with red light. When it faded, she was gone.

"That was... impressive," admitted Mouse as she pulled herself up. She turned to watch as CyberV's monsters faded away.

"Mouse, Void," said CV, glancing at the evil members that hadn't gotten away. "Can you two clean this up? Jay needs me."

"Go," said Void.

CV nodded and ran towards Arena 3.

"Godspeed," said Mouse.

* * *

"And now it's my turn," said Ramesus. "But don't worry... I'll make it QUICK." Ramesus drew. "I summon Dark Breaker the Magical Warrior!" A black armored version of Breaker materialized on the field.

Dark Breaker the Magical Warrior: 1600/1000

"And now his ability activates, giving him a spell counter that grants him an extra 300 attack points!"

Dark Breaker the Magical Warrior (with counter) : 1900/1000

"And now I switch my Gravekeeper's Spy to attack mode." The cloaked man stood tall.

"Three on one," muttered Nat. "Not good."

Watching from the stands, Hikari had to agree. Sneaking in hadn't been easy, but given the situation, she'd felt a little stealth was in order. But all she could see was Jay losing badly to the psycho.

"And now," said Ramesus. "It's time to clear the path! DARK MOBIUS! ATTACK HIS CYBERNETIC MAGICIAN! FROZEN RULE OF DARKNESS!" Black ice shot from Dark Mobius' hand.

"COUNTER!" ordered Jay. "TECHNOMANCY BLAST!" A digital spell shot from the staff of Cybernetic Magician. The two attacks met in the middle of the field, holding each other off evenly... until suddenly each attack ricocheted. The ice thunks struck and shattered Dark Mobius, even as Cybernetic Magician was digitized and deleted by his own spell.

"Woah..." muttered Jay. "They wiped each other out."

"And now," said Ramesus. "It's YOUR turn! ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY!" A dagger was thrown right into Jay's chest, passing through him easily, right before Dark Breaker's sword passed through him as well.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!" Jay dropped to his knees, in obvious pain

Jay: 1400

Ramesus: 3700

"Oh, by all means, stay just like that. It's where you belong. Bowing down to me on your knees!" Ramesus laughed at the sight.

"JAY!" yelled Ashes. "Don't give up!"

"I'll NEVER give up..." said Jay, struggling to his feet.

"This is all my fault..." whispered Tapkar.

"No," said Nat. "If you weren't the target, it would just be someone else. This is Ramesus' fault, not your's. And Jay hasn't lost yet. He can still turn this around if he draws just the right card."

"She speaks the truth," said the Creator.

"He can't hear you, remember?" whispered Flame Sprite.

"...Why are you whispering?" asked Ashes, giving her spirit a look.

"I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?!"

'The right card,' thought Jay. 'Funny how it always seems to come down to that. I've seen hundreds of duels, and it's always the same. The best strategies around, and a single draw can turn everything right on it's ear.'

He thought back to the duels he'd seen.

'It just took drawing Soul Release to save the others from the Blaze...' He remembered clearly how close CyberV had been to losing the duel... and how close everyone had been to death. But it had all turned around as Soul Release came out of his friend's deck, paving the way for his sentai deck to put an end to the terror.

'And Ashes would have been finished of not for her last minute draw of Winged Fireball...' His mind flashed on the duel between Ashes and the spirit of her dead brother, and how Winged Fireball had come out of nowhere to pave the way to victory.

'All the others have pulled it off, and now it's my turn to do the same and take control of this duel once and for all! Come on, deck! Give me what I need to win and save my best friend!'

He reached for his deck.

"HERE GOES EVERYTHING!" Jay drew his card of destiny...

* * *

Fury chuckled as Kuno appeared from the shadows, sopping wet with foam.

"Didn't go so well, huh?"

She glared at him. "Shut. Up. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the shower. And if you screw up the plan..."

"WE won't," said Fury glancing towards a very quiet Allis, who just looked at the floor, terrified and ashamed.

Without another word, Kuno walked away. Fury turned to Allis.

"Showtime."

She cringed.

* * *

"Almost there..." muttered CyberV. With the shadow power coursing through him, he was certain he could stop the duel in time and save everyone.

'Too bad I lost my comlink,' he lamented silently. 'Without it, I can't check and see what the situation is!'

He turned a corner and saw that the entrance for Arena 3 was only a few dozen yards away.

"FINALLY!" he exclaimed. He started towards it... when he heard the slap. And then another one.

He stopped instantly and turned. Something was going down in the locker room right next to the arena.

'It's probably nothing...' he thought to himself... before rushing through the door to the locker room.

"YEAH, RIGHT!" It only took seconds for him to see what was going on. Fury was going off on Allis, who was so afraid that she was just letting him hold her up by the collar as he hit her again and again.

"DUEL ME ALREADY, YOU SIMPERING LITTLE WIMP!" He raised his hand to slap her again, but CV moved quickly ramming his fist into Fury's jaw and knocking the guy into a mirror, which shattered.

"The lady's with me," said CV. He turned to look at Allis. "Allis, are you-"

He paused as he saw the bruises on her face. From the looks of her, she was barely conscious.

"h-help... me..." She slumped into CV's arms. Gingerly, he scooped her up and glared at Fury, who cringed at the sight of the glowing wdjat.

"If you ever touch her again, it'll be the last thing you EVER do." Turning away from Fury, he walked out of the locker room, carrying the half conscious girl. Outside, he paused. Just beyond the arena doors, Jay was fighting for his very soul. It would be the work of seconds to rush in and aid him... But he couldn't be sure Allis could spare those seconds. From the looks of her, she could easily have sustained a concussion.

"Rocket Warrior. Red-Eyes. Can you-?"

"No," said Rocket Warrior as they appeared. "We used up too much energy back in the fight. For now, we just can't roam without you." He looked at Allis. "Man... You'd better decide quick."

CV bit back a curse.

"BLAST IT!" Turning, he ran for the infirmary.

'Just hold on, Jay! I'll be back as soon as I can!'

* * *

Jay looked at his new card and chuckled. "Well whadda ya know? Miracles DO happen." He turned his eyes towards Ramesus. "You know, there's a philosophy in this game that states that the game isn't over until the last card is played, and that a single draw can change the entire match in a heartbeat."

"I'm aware of that," said Ramesus.

"Good. So you won't be disappointed as I play my trump card! Behold!" He placed his new card in a spell zone. "REVEAL SPELL CARD! PREMATURE BURIAL!" The magic card rose up.

"Here's how it works. First, I pay 800 life points!"

Jay: 600

Ramesus: 3200

"And now, I can summon from my graveyard my most potent creature!" Flames began erupting all around Jay. "NOW, RISE FROM THE ASHES AND COME TO MY SIDE! SACRED PHOENIX OF NEPHTHYS!" A massive geyser of white hot fire exploded behind Jay, revealing the massive firebird, which screeched to announce it's arrival on the field.

Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys: 2400/1600

"NO!" exclaimed Ramesus. "It's impossible! You never summoned that card!"

"I didn't need to," said Jay. "Don't you remember?" Jay grinned. "Back when I played Lightning Vortex. I had to discard a card from my hand to activate it."

"You sacrificed your Phoenix." Ramesus scowled. "Clever."

"And that's just the beginning," said Jay. "SACRED PHOENIX! ANNIHILATE HIS DARK BREAKER! FLAMING CYCLONE OF THE PHOENIX!" The Sacred Phoenix rose even higher into the air and began flapping it's wings, creating a mighty wind. The air grew hotter, and hotter... and then caught fire as it spun around Dark Breaker. The spellcaster stood no chance as the fire engulfed him, reducing him to ash.

Jay: 600

Ramesus: 3200

"A lucky move," said Ramesus. "Nothing more."

"Was it luck?" asked Jay. "Or was it fate herself saying that you're not meant to rule the world? This entire duel, you've been in complete control... But now I'm in charge, and I'm gonna use my Phoenix to shut you down once and for all!"

"Big talk," said Ramesus.

"And bigger actions," retorted Jay. "A single card, Ramesus. That's all it took to change everything here. Now I'm not out muscled. Now I'm on the attack. And YOU'RE the one on the receding end! I've never been a sidekick, Ramesus! You claim that there's a greater destiny to all this? Fine. Just go on believing that. Me? I believe in my deck. I believe in my friends. And most of all, I believe in my ability to forge my own path!"

Ramesus smirked. "And all this from a lucky draw. How precious."

"Be as disdainful as you like," said Jay. "It doesn't change the fact that it's not the Warrior of the Balance that's gonna bring you down, but me. Plain, ordinary Jay. And deep down, that's the part of all this that's really getting to you."

"YES!" Hikari whispered a cheer as she inched down the stands, trying to get closer to Tapkar.

'If I can get him away from Ramesus' goons, Jay'll be even better off than he is now!'

Ashes was practically whooping for joy. "You've got him on the ropes! You can win now!"

Nat said nothing, but she crossed her arms and let loose a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

The Phoenix landed behind Jay, protecting it's master.

"Now make your move so I can put an end to this duel."

CyberV put Allis down on the hospital bed. "You're gonna be okay, Allis. I promise."

"I..." She started to say. She almost screamed right there what Ramesus was planning. It would have been the work of a heartbeat. Maybe two. But even as the words reached her lips, an image of Strong Man, fading away into the darkness, flashed across her mind's eye, and the words died with it. "Go. I'll... be okay."

CV nodded. "Stay strong," he said before turning and running out the door, back to Arena 3.

When she was sure he was gone, Allis let herself cry. In truth, Fury had only struck her twice... The injuries were entirely superficial... She remembered Fury's words.

'Pretend to be badly injured. He'll have to help you instead of his friend, buying the boss all the time he'll need to put his plan into motion.'

And just like a coward, she'd done exactly what she'd been told.

She silently prayed that her actions wouldn't cost her friends everything. She received no answer.

* * *

Ramesus drew a card from his deck. "Well well well. It seems you've proven me wrong," he said with a sigh. "You were right. An entire duel can hinge on a single draw of a card. Your miraculous last minute summoning of your Phoenix was certainly a surprise..."

He grinned. "Too bad MY draw's BETTER."

As he said those words, the ground began to quake. With everyone distracted by the tremors, Hikari bolted forward and tackled Tapkar, pulling him right out of the arms of McMike and Greekman.

"COME ON!" she shouted as she pulled him towards the other girls.

"R-Right!" said Tapkar, horrified at what he was seeing. Before their very eyes, the ground was swallowing the Phoenix!

"NO!" exclaimed Jay. "NO, IT CAN'T BE!"

"Oh, but it CAN," said Ramesus, laughing. "I've drawn the spell known as Smashing Ground! With it, I can annihilate the monster on your side of the field with the most defense points! And since you only have your precious Phoenix..."

The firebird shattered into nothingness, leaving Jay wide open once more. Even his Premature Burial shattered, now without a target for it's effect.

"You instead have NOTHING."

Joyous a moment ago, Ashes' face was now filled with horror.

"...no... NO!"

"YES." Ramesus laughed long and loud. "IT'S OVER! GRAVEKEEPER'S SPY! SILENT DAGGER!" The Spy reached into his cloak and thrust out a small throwing blade that struck Jay in the chest.

The sudden agony took the embattled duelist by surprise, and slowly, he fell backwards. Time seemed to stand nearly still, each millimeter of Jay's fall to the ground lasting an eternity.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" Ashes ran towards Jay, but Nat grabbed her wrist, holding her back.

"There's nothing you can do," she said, softly. "There's nothing... any of us can do now..."

Jay landed with a thud, his hand making a slapping sound as it hit the hard floor.

Jay: 0

Ramesus: 3200

The Gravekeeper's Spy faded away, it's job complete.

"It's over," said Ramesus. "And I'll admit that you put up quite the fight... But in the end, it was hopeless, and, deep down," he added, mocking Jay's earlier speech, "you knew it would end this way."

"You... won't... win..."

"Oh, but I just DID. The rest of your friends just don't realize it yet. And now, to business." A blood red wdjat appeared on Ramesus' forehead.

A larger one appeared on the ground under Jay.

"JAY!" exclaimed Hikari.

"It... It's impossible..." Tapkar felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"Farewell," said Ramesus. "And go to the shadows with the knowledge that your failure shall bring about an end to the old world order, and give rise to MY rule!"

With that, Jay began to sink into the floor.

"JAY!" Ashes pulled free of Nat's grasp and grabbed Jay's hand.

"ASHES!" gasped Jay. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"SAVING YOU! NOW PULL!" He kept sinking. "PLEASE, PULL!"

"IT'S NO USE!" he yelled. "LET GO OR IT'LL GET YOU, TOO!" He pulled his hand free of hers, and began sinking faster. "Ashes... I'll always love you."

The Creator appeared above Jay and lowered down, into his body, as he sank completely into the wdjat... and vanished.

"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!" Ashes dropped to her knees and wept.

"BLAST IT!" Hikari turned towards Ramesus. "You're gonna PAY for that!" She and Nat both charged him, intent on pummeling him into the ground.

"Boys..." said Ramesus.

Right on cue, Greekman and McMike were there. Greekman's fist found Hikari's abdomen. Her eyes went wide and she stopped in mid stride before dropping to her knees, the breath knocked out of her.

Nat faired no better. She got within five feet of Ramesus before McMike got in front of her, spun, and kicked hard, knocking her backwards and to the floor, right next to Hikari.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," said Ramesus. "I have some bad news to deliver." Without a backwards glance, he walked out of the exit, McMike and Greekman at his side.

* * *

CyberV ran hard. Again, the arena came into view.

But what terrified him now was the sight of Ramesus walking out the door like the cat that swallowed the canary. He didn't slow down as he made his way past them.

"Too late." said Ramesus as an aside as CV rushed into the arena to the sight of his worst nightmare.

Hikari and Nat were hurt, but recovering. Tapkar was in shock, just standing there, staring at the floor.

And Ashes... She was on her hands and knees, crying her eyes out.

"...No..."

"He... almost won," said Hikari, choking.

"Jay..." CV felt his wdjat fade away, his hair return to normal. He looked at Ashes, and knelt down to help her up. "Ashes, I-"

He wasn't prepared for her to slap him.

"WHERE WERE YOU?!" she demanded, her eyes puffy from the tears. "He needed you... WE needed you! And you never came! Why?! WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THIS?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HIM!?!?"

He felt tears coming to his own eyes.

"Ashes..." He hugged her to console her, and slowly, she succumbed to her sorrow and let him help her up.

* * *

"I don't understand," said Greekman. "How does eliminating Jay bring you victory?"

Ramesus chuckled. "Ah, Greekman. You always did lack imagination. You see, I've been watching the Warrior for months now, and I know his one true weakness... His fear of failure. I set all of this up just to make him fret and sweat over saving his best friend... Then took away any hope of that happening."

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to see the Warrior, filled with mournful despair.

"I've realized his greatest fear. And in doing so, I've destroyed his confidence." He grinned. "As of this moment, there IS NO WARRIOR OF THE BALANCE to get in my way!"

He left Arena 3 far behind. "And now the rest of the world shall fall just as easily..."

* * *

'Slifer! Please, help me,' CyberV thought silently.

'I cannot,' came the voice of the God in CyberV's head. 'The die is cast. There is nothing I can do to save your friend. I am sorry.'

He felt the voice fade, and a new one began to speak. The doubts that had always whispered in the back of his mind since his first duel. The fear that he would fail and let everyone down. The fear he'd covered up with smart comments and pure bravado and luck... It was no longer a whisper, but a shout of guilt.

'I've failed. I've failed everyone... I've failed... Failed... Failed...'

The voice only grew louder...

Next Time: Fear and Doubt: Am I Worthy?


	35. Fear and Doubt: Am I Worthy?

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The long awaited war between the Good and Evil Duelists erupted, with the losers of the duels vanishing to the Shadow Realm. In response, Hikari made a fateful phone call. In an attempt to stop the War, Jay challenged Ramesus to a shadow game... and lost. The immediate aftermath of this tragedy had a side effect Ramesus was banking on... the breaking of CyberV's spirit.

* * *

"How long has he been in there?" asked LazyMan.

"Five hours, so far," said Drift. He looked at the closed door to CyberV and Jay's dorm room.

"I was afraid of this. Ramesus knew just how to go after him... Through his friends."

Drift nodded. "The attacks have stopped for the moment. Either Ramesus already got everything he wanted..."

"Or he's preparing for an even bigger assault. How many students are missing?"

"103," said Drift. "Good, evil, and neutral. We've also caught a few of the low ranking Evil Duelists, but they don't know anything about his plan. They were just told to duel other students and keep going until told otherwise."

"And Allis?"

"She's recovering in the infirmary. Ikke's with her."

"Good." LazyMan looked at the door again. "He blames himself for what happened."

"He shouldn't," said Drift.

"You and I know that... The question is if HE can accept that."

* * *

Sitting in darkness, CyberV sat on the edge of his bed. The room was a shambles, items thrown everywhere in a fit of grief and rage. In his hands was a picture of Jay and the rest of the gang.

"It's all my fault..." he said to no one. "All my fault..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 35: Fear and Doubt: Am I Worthy?

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

The plane touched down gently. It was no doubt the end to the easiest part of this journey.

Gathered on the plane were good friends that had been through thick and thin together... And an ally was with them as well.

"Hang on," said one of them. "We're almost there."

* * *

"TO VICTORY!" Trouble raised her glass and cheered. Many of the Evil Duelists did the same, toasting their leader, Ramesus.

"VICTORY!"

They were seated around a large table, with Ramesus at the head, sitting like a conqueror king.

"I guess from now on," said Bubble, "it's CyberV for vanquished!" The line caused an uproar of laughter. Too many of them had been irritated beyond belief by the Warrior of the Balance; the knowledge that he'd been completely demoralized had energized them to the fullest.

"Now now, dear sister," said Toil. "If anyone's earned the right to mock our enemies' only hope today, it's our great leader!"

The statement drew applause of assent. Ramesus rose from his seat and casually motioned for the celebrating to quiet.

"Thank you, my dear," said Ramesus. "Indeed, today we have struck a crippling blow to the balance and the Good Duelists... And tomorrow, we finish them, once and for all. Because of your actions, I have almost enough shadow energy to begin the final phase of my plan."

"And what IS this plan?" asked Greekman, who, tellingly, sat at the other end of the table.

"An excellent question," allowed Ramesus. "But not one I'm ready to answer. Suffice to say, you will ALL have a role to play."

"That's what I'm afraid of..." muttered Poison as he watched from the buffet table.

'Blast it! He knew just what to do to put that idiot out of commission! Now that Ramesus is stronger than ever, how the heck am I supposed to protect Hikari?! If I act openly, he'll swat me like a fly! And if I do nothing, she'll suffer and fall along with all the rest! No matter what, I lose!'

"He's certainly got a talent with words," said McMike, joining Poison.

"So I've noticed."

"You seem distracted. Is something wrong?"

"No... Why?"

"No reason. But if you are, I can relate. If Ramesus is telling the truth, tomorrow, I'll lose my best friend forever."

Poison couldn't help but widen his eyes a little.

"We may be on opposite sides of this battle," continued McMike, "but I don't want Void to get hurt. He and I have been rivals for years, and it wouldn't do to have anyone beat him except me."

Poison nodded. "So you only want him defeated on your terms?"

"I do."

"So then that raises a question... How far are you willing to go to make sure you GET your way?" With that, Poison walked away, leaving McMike to think.

Watching from the shadows, Jimbo chuckled. "Very interesting..."

* * *

Nat watched as Ashes sat on the roof, weeping. She was holding Jay's duel disk, which she hadn't let go of since he'd vanished.

'Once I would have traded places with her in a second,' she thought. 'because I wanted to be with Jay like she was... But now...' She clenched her fists. Furious, she turned and punched the wall, leaving a crack.

"BLAST IT!" she said out loud. "What's WRONG with me?!" She flashed back, remembering how she'd tried to save Jay, only to easily be stopped by Ramesus' henchman.

She forced back her tears.

'We were a team...' She thought back, remembering the good times with Ashes, Jay, Hikari and CV. 'The five of us were strong together! Yeah, there were rough spots, but we always pulled through because we were there for each other!'

She flashed back, remembering annoying Ikke the day they'd met Big Andy, and the gigantic battle in Monster World.

Despite her sorrow, she felt a weak smile coming on. 'And always at the forefront? Our resident bonehead, ready with a quip or some stupid pose that somehow made everything seem like it was gonna be okay...'

She flashed to CV's dramatic rescue at the mall, and his encounter with McMike and Kuno. Most of all, she flashed to the day he'd beaten her in a duel, only to turn around and try to make her stronger.

'But the one time he didn't make it...' She flashed back again, this time remembering the horrified look on Ashes' face as Jay faded away, and how, upon his arrival, Ashes had blamed CV for the tragedy.

'I think, more than anything... THAT'S what got to the dork,' she thought. 'Even more than losing Jay... I think it broke his heart to see her cry.'

She returned her attention to Ashes.

'And now that we're not together anymore, how can everything be okay again?'

The blowing wind offered no answers...

* * *

Allis opened her eyes to see Ikke sitting by her side.

"I-Ikke?"

He smiled. "You're going to be all right," he said. "It looked worse than it was." He helped her sit up.

"What happened?"

"You were attacked. Cy... Someone came to your rescue. But there was... a price."

Allis remembered now. She flashed to Ramesus' dark deal... If she served him, he would spare her and Strong Man, the duelist who had come to her aid several months before. But when the time came, her mission had been that of bait, to lure CyberV away from Jay's duel so he couldn't aid his friend.

A part of her had hoped that Jay would win the duel, but one look at Ikke's eyes told her that the worst had happened, and that she was directly responsible.

"...I'm sorry..." she said without thinking.

"For what? You were just an innocent victim. There was nothing you could have done about it."

The words were like a dagger in her heart. "What happened? Please, I need to know."

Ikke hesitated. "We... lost Jay. The Warrior attempted to aid him, but chose to save you first. He didn't arrive in time to save his friend."

"...no..."

"Worse, it seems to have sapped his fighting spirit." He scoffed. "Some Warrior. A single setback and he crumbles like dust."

"Ikke," said Allis. "You mean he... sacrificed his chance to save his best friend for me? He barely knows me."

"Yes," said Ikke. "And for that, I am grateful to him."

Allis saw her chance to atone without strictly betraying Ramesus. After all, he'd never said anything about just asking a question. "Then don't we both owe it to him to get him fighting again?"

* * *

Golem was late. Ramesus was probably already making his big speech, and he was missing it!

He ran as fast as he could. He didn't run fast enough. Out of nowhere, a fist came flying right into his face, knocking him off his feet and to the ground.

Looking up, and in some pain, he saw Hikari Wheeler of the Good Duelists, looking thoroughly pissed off.

"You and me. LET'S GO." She extended her duel disk to play mode.

"I... I don't have to fight you. From what I hear, we've already won."

He moved to go past her, but she thrust her arm out and knocked him back again.

"Who said you could leave?" She glared at him with pure rage. "Now duel me or I'll break every bone in your body."

The look in her eyes was one of rage. She wasn't kidding.

"Fine," said Golem, extending his disk. "Let's duel."

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 8000

"But I go first," he said as he drew a sixth card. "I summon Inpachi in attack mode!" A wooden creature appeared, towering over both duelists.

Inpachi: 1600/1900

"And now I'll play the spell Chosen one!" A strange top appeared, and three cards materialized on it. "Now two of my spells, and one of my monsters, are in this top. You choose one card. If it's a monster, I summon it to the field, but if you choose correctly, all three cards go to my graveyard."

"Then I choose the card closest to me," said Hikari.

"Bad choice." The card glowed, and a new mechanical monster appeared. "Now I summon Steel Ogre Grotto #2!"

Steel Ogre Grotto #2: 1900/2200

"Not bad, huh?"

"No," said Hikari. "It was REALLY bad. Your move cost you most of your hand. Now watch how a REAL duelist plays!" She drew. "And I'll start with Pot of Greed!" She drew two more cards. "Perfect!" She glared at Golem. "Prepare for a world of hurt."

Golem involuntarily stepped back a few feet. "You... You don't scare me."

"Then allow me to fix that problem. I play Power Bond!" She held the card up. "Now I can fuse two machine monsters in my hand, and double the resulting monster's attack points! So I'll fuse Ambulanceroid and Rescueroid to create Ambulance Rescueroid!" The two machines appeared and spiraled together, creating the fusion monster.

Ambulance Rescueroid (power bond) : 4600/1800

"And for kicks, I'll summon my Decoyroid in defense mode!" A small toy car appeared with it's card underneath it.

Decoyroid: 300/500

"Now attack his Steel Ogre Grotto #2!" she ordered. "RESCUE RACING RAM!" Ambulance Rescueroid whaled it's sirens and charged forward, running down the mechanical golem like it was nothing.

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 5300

"But now you'll take some heavy damage too," pointed out Golem. "Thanks to Power Bond's second effect."

"Wrong," said Hikari. "I play De-Fusion!" She held up the card, which glowed, and Ambulance Rescueroid split into two monsters. "That cancels out Power Bond's second effect." Power Bond shattered.

Ambulanceroid: 300/1200

Rescueroid: 1600/1800

"And the best part is that now I can attack you again," she added grimly.

"So? You'll lose your Rescueroid if you attack, and Ambulanceroid has almost no attack at all."

"So I'll use one of the two cards Pot of Greed gave me. Namely Salamandra!" She placed the card behind Rescueroid. "Now he gains 700 attack points!" A blazing sword appeared atop of Rescueroid.

Rescueroid (equipped) : 2300/1800

"GO! RESCUE RAM!" Rescueroid barreled forward, striking Inpachi and shattering the log monster into splinters.

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 4600

"NO!" exclaimed Golem.

"Yes. AMBULANCEROID! YOU'RE ON!" Ambulanceroid turned on it's sirens, creating a sonic shreak that brought Golem to his knees.

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 4300

"Now I'll play one card facedown and end my turn," said Hikari as a facedown appeared.

'Almost half my life points in her opening attack! I need to counter attack! Thankfully, she's used up her entire hand, which means she's easy pickings. Especially because she's made a big mistake leaving Ambulanceroid in attack mode! It's so weak that any of my creatures could total it and a big chunk of her life points!'

"MY MOVE!" he said, growing in confidence. He drew. "I summon Hydrogeddon in attack mode!" A watery dinosaur appeared.

Hydrogeddon: 1600/1000

"Now destroy her Ambulanceroid!" The monster shot an attack, but at Decoyroid, which shattered.

"Sorry," said Hikari. "But while he's on the field, Decoyroid is the only machine monster you can target."

"But I still get to use Hydrogeddon's special ability! Now that he's destroyed a monster in battle, I can summon another one from my deck!" Another Hydrogeddon appeared.

Hydrogeddon 2: 1600/1000

"ATTACK!"

"Sorry," said Hikari as Decoyroid returned in defense mode, only to shatter again. "Not happening. You see, when Decoyroid was destroyed, you activated the effects of Ambulanceroid and Rescueroid. First, Rescueroid took Decoyroid from my grave and added him to my hand. That triggered Ambulanceroid, who special summoned it from my hand to the field. From that point, it was Decoyroid's turn again. And look at that... Here he comes again!" Decoyroid returned again.

"And I get another Hydrogeddon," said Golem. A third appeared. "But attacking is pointless! You'll just resummon that little pest!"

Hydrogeddon 3: 1600/1000

"And YOU'RE out of Hydrogeddon to summon," said Hikari. "And soon, you'll just be finished. But to make it interesting, I'll reveal my facedown card. Gamble!" Her facedown rose up. "Now I flip a coin. If I call it right, I draw until I have five cards in my hand. If I call it wrong, I skip my next turn. And I say it'll be heads!" A holocoin appeared and launched into the air.

'Even if she loses, I'm still stuck in her loop! I can only attack Decoyroid, which those two monsters bring right back! Blast her...'

The coin came down heads up.

"So now I draw five cards!" said Hikari as she took an entire new hand. "And it's also my move!" She drew a sixth card. "So take a good hard look at what you signed up for, because I'm going to give you just a TASTE of what's in store for your teammates."

Golem could almost see the rage pouring from her. He found himself utterly terrified, but unable to run.

"Are you ready to suffer?" she asked. "Well, ARE YOU?!"

* * *

"You can't stay in there forever, you know!" yelled Ami towards CV's door.

"Tell that to him," said Rex. "Guy's either got a bladder the size of a circus tent, or he found an inventive use for the ventilation system."

Magyk sweatdropped. "Don't give him ideas."

* * *

Inside his room, CyberV heard Ami's cries, but he was lost in an endless cycle of self-recrimination.

"Jay... If only I'd been there..." He felt tears welling up again. It was time to make a decision about the future. And it was tearing him up inside.

* * *

"So, these are the new recruits..." muttered Void as he watched Mech and Forest train. "I'm not impressed."

"Be nice," said Mokuba. "It's not like they WANTED to be in this fight, after all."

"None of us did," said Void. "And yet, here we are."

"It's hard, isn't it?" asked Mokuba. "Knowing that you're gonna have to fight your best friend?"

"...Yes," said Void after a momentary hesitation. "But I'll do what needs to be done."

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that," said Mokuba. "Because we've already lost too much in this fight."

* * *

Jay's eyes opened slowly, but it was hard to tell at first that he was seeing anything. All he could see before him was absolute darkness.

"Am I... dead?" he asked.

"No," said the Creator, appearing by his side. "You and I are in the Shadow Realm."

Jay realized he was flat on his back, and managed to sit up. "Man... I remember dueling Ramesus... and losing."

"Unfortunately, thou speaks the truth," said the Creator. "As thou faded away, I merged with you to save ye from Ramesus' vile clutches... Whilst I could not spare thou from yon punishment, I didst spare thee from capture." The Creator pulled Jay to his feet.

"So instead of being where the other defeated duelists are," said Jay. "We're completely lost."

"...Yes."

"...YOU IDIOT!" Jay punched the Creator in the back of the head. "OW!" He shook his hand to make it stop hurting. "Now we have to go FIND them!"

"And free them?"

"That's the plan," said Jay. "So... Which way do we go?"

"...I know not."

"...Just great..." Jay sighed. "It's gonna be one of THOSE days..."

* * *

"What? You seem shocked." Hikari glared at Golem. "Could it be that you expected a member of Good to play nice? Well forget it. You monsters took away a good friend of mine, and since I can't bring him back, I'll settle for tearing you creeps to pieces one slimeball at a time. And guess what? You're elected to start things off. "I summon Hayabusa Knight!" A bird-warrior appeared.

Hayabusa Knight: 1000/700

"And I'll play Last Will as well." The card appeared on the field. "Now, when I lose a monster on my field, I can special summon one from my deck with 1500 or fewer attack points."

Golem gulped. "Now... Now hold on..."

"And now I'll play the ritual spell called Commencement Dance!" A dancing woman appeared. "Now I need to sacrifice monsters whose stars equal six or more, so my Knight and Ambulanceroid bow out!" Both monsters faded away.

"And now I can summon Performance of Sword in attack mode!" The woman vanished, making way for a new female warrior. Wearing arm blades, she seemed a very unlikely fighter.

Performance of Sword: 1950/1850

"And for extra bite, I'll equip her with Ritual Weapon." A bizarre crossbow appeared on her left arm. "This increases her attack and defense by 1500."

Performance of Sword: 3450/3350

"And, of course, since a monster went to the graveyard, Last Will activates. And it lets me summon my Etoile Cyber in attack mode!" The female dancer appeared.

Etoile Cyber: 1200/1000

"And for kicks, I play Fissure!" The ground began to quake, and a gigantic fault opened under one of the Hydrogeddon. It fell through as the breach closed. "And that destroys a monster on your field with the lowest defense."

Golem didn't like how this was going. Not at all.

"Oh, and for fun, Rescueroid returns Decoyroid to my hand." The card ejected from the graveyard and back to Hikari's hand.

"NOW GO! RITUAL ARROW! RESCUE RAM!" Both Performance of Sword and Rescueroid moved forward. Performance of Sword danced her blade dance before firing an arrow right into her target. Rescueroid, far from fancy, just ran his target down.

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 1750

"And now, Etoile Cyber! DIRECT ATTACK!" The graceful warrior danced forward, her poetic spins bringing her foot in contact with Golem's face, knocking him for a loop.

"And since she's attacking directly, her attack points go up by 500," said Hikari.

Etoile Cyber (effect) : 1700/1000

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 50

Golem trembled. He was already almost out of life points, had barely any cards in his hand, and he was facing an army of monsters and one seriously tweaked duelist.

"How does it feel?!" yelled Hikari. "Are you afraid? You know what'll happen when you lose, right? You disappear forever! Just like everyone you hurt today! Just like everyone Ramesus hurt!"

Etoile Cyber: 1200/1000

"But... But I didn't do anything to you!"

"You exist while my friend is gone," said Hikari coldly. "That's enough for me. Now make your last move."

Golem drew. "M-maybe not! I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Blades of energy erupted all around Hikari's monsters. "Now you can't attack me for three turns!"

"You WISH!" shouted Hikari as she drew. "I PLAY MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" Without even looking, she held up the card and watched as it created a massive gale force wind that blew the Swords of Revealing Light away.

Astonished and horrified, Golem dropped to his knees.

"I... I..."

"You don't get to talk," said Hikari. "You just became my message to Ramesus... ALL OF YOU ARE GOING DOWN!" Her monsters all launched forward, bombarding the hapless evil duelist with kicks, hit and run attacks, and slashing blades.

Hikari: 8000

Golem: 0

On his back, Golem could only watch as Hikari walked over and loomed over him.

"Don't be afraid," said Hikari. "You'll have PLENTY of company soon."

Golem faded away, screaming with fear.

Hikari's monsters vanished as she heard faint applause behind her. Ready for another battle, she spun around, only to see Mouse leaning against the wall.

"Very impressive," she said. "I saw the whole thing. But do you feel any better?"

"No," said Hikari. "And I won't until I take down Ramesus." She began to walk past Mouse.

"Let's just hope he CAN be defeated," muttered Mouse.

"You don't think I can do it?"

"Jay came close, and look at what happened to him."

"I won't lose," she said. "And anyone that gets in my way suffers the same way that nobody did." Hikari kept walking until she was out of sight.

"Hikari..." whispered Mouse. "Be careful..."

* * *

They walked to the doors of the Academy without incident, but paused as they saw several students trying to pry the doors open.

"Oh man... This is nuts," muttered one.

"It's like they're trapped inside," said another.

"They are," said their leader. "I can feel it, but maybe..." He ran up to the door. The students saw who he was and stepped back, awed. Easily, he opened the door. "GO!" he shouted. It took the students a moment to comply, but despite their fear and awe, they heeded his words and ran.

"Come on," he said to his comrades. "We haven't a moment to waste."

* * *

"It should have been me," said Tapkar, and not for the first time.

"But it wasn't," said StrongMan. "So it's up to you to fight as Jay would have."

Tapkar closed his eyes, and remembered how Jay had stepped in to protect him... only to fall in the attempt.

"I was useless. I was standing right there, and I did NOTHING. That girl? Ashes? She shouldn't have blamed CyberV for what happened... She should have blamed me..."

"There's plenty of blame to pass around," said StrongMan. "And most of it lies with Ramesus. The time's come to stop wallowing with doubt and self-pity, and take a stand. Are you with me?"

Tapkar hesitated, then nodded. "For Jay."

* * *

"And this is where we stand," said LazyMan as he informed the inner circle of the Good Duelists, minus CV and the banished Jay, of their status in the war.

It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Ashes off the roof, and Hikari to put her snit aside long enough to convene the meeting. As it was, the demoralized feeling in the room was palpable.

"Since Ramesus has pulled back for now, we can assume he feels he's won the opening round. But if we rally, we can turn the tide and regain control of the conflict."

"It's not gonna be easy," said Magyk. "We need-" He stopped as the door opened to reveal-

"CyberV!" LazyMan stepped back, surprised to see the Warrior up and about. Encouragingly, he was wearing his duel disk.

"Man, are we glad to see you," said Mokuba. "We're trying to figure out a plan to fight Ramesus, and we could use your help to-"

"Stop," said CV softly.

Slowly, there came a dawning realization that, if nothing else, CV was even more depressed than before.

"...Dork?" whispered Hikari.

"If this is about what I said back in Arena 3..." started Ashes.

"No," said CV. "It... It's time you knew the truth. The whole truth."

"Truth?" asked Nat. "What do you mean?"

"You might remember that before I came here, I was a joke. I couldn't win a duel to save my life." He breathed deeply. "And when I came here, and suddenly found myself entrusted with saving the world, I sorta freaked out. Out of the blue, here I was, an untalented nobody with people FORCED to be my friends."

Nat winced at that. Ashes cringed.

"How many times can I say 'my bad'?" muttered LazyMan.

"I knew that I was gonna crash and burn, so I did the only thing I could... I adopted an entirely new personality, one with a devil-may-care attitude... One that delighted in tormenting and annoying opponents... and Ikke..."

Ikke scowled.

"I compensated for my lack of skill by distracting the people I faced... My banter was my shield, both in duels, and in the real world... But it wasn't me. It never was, really."

"You've still had some impressive victories," pointed out Mouse.

"And all it takes to doom the world is a single loss," said CV. "And I can't pretend that I can take it anymore! If I make a mistake, one of you could be next... Or worse..."

"What are you saying?" Ashes didn't like where this was going.

"I'm saying that it was a mistake to entrust me with the safety of the world... I was a loser when I started, and I'm a loser now. If you trust in me, I'm just gonna fail and get everyone annihilated."

Everyone in the room looked ill.

"I'm out. As of now, I can't be the Warrior anymore."

"Yeah, RIGHT..." said a familiar voice from behind CV. "Is that quitter talk I hear? Sure doesn't sound like the kid I saw in the park nine months ago." Shocked, CV turned around to see several people entering the room. The one speaking was Joey Wheeler, accompanied by Tristan Taylor, Tea Gardner, and Ishizu Ishtar.

"Warrior, you must not lose heart," said Ishizu. "Yes, you face dark times, but you can overcome it with courage."

"What she said," said Tristan. "...I think."

"And besides," said a deep voice from behind the newcomers. They parted, and a legend stepped forward.

From his spiky purple and blonde hair to the intense look in his eyes, there was no doubting that the King of Games himself had at long last entered the battle.

"We've got your back." Yugi Mutou smiled. "And together, we can save this world!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Yugi Returns! Regain Your Confidence, Warrior!


	36. Yugi Returns!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Yugi Mutou's deck was put on tour by Kaibacorp, keeping Yugi from coming to help stop Ramesus. During the winter break, Hikari made a special arrangement with Seto Kaiba to get Yugi's deck back. At Duel Academy, Jaden Yugi and his friends found themselves embroiled in a battle to protect the God Demon Cards from falling into evil hands. When the war began, Hikari made a fateful phone call. Throughout the year, CyberV periodically underwent a strange transformation, gaining shadow powers unlike any seen before. During an attempt to save Tapkar from Ramesus, Jay lost a shadow game and vanished into the Shadow Realm. In the aftermath, the Good Duelists were utterly demoralized and CyberV began to announce that he couldn't continue in his role. Allis, seeking to secretly atone for her role in the tragedy, suggested to Ikke that he could restore CyberV's spirit. Before things could get any worse, the results of Hikari's call became crystal clear... At long last, Yugi had arrived!

* * *

Seeing the arrival of Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Tea Gardner, and Ishizu Ishtar had been a shock. But it was also just a warm-up.

The second Yugi stepped into the room, a dead silence came over the Good Duelists.

"My god..." muttered Drift.

"No way. Just... No way..." Magyk was equally astonished.

"It's a miracle," whispered Mouse.

"No," said Yugi. "It was Hikari."

Everyone turned to look at her. She shrugged.

"Did I forget to tell you guys that I made a phone call?"

"YES!" shouted almost everyone.

"Oh

. With all the craziness, it kinda slipped my mind. Sorry." Most of the Good Duelists flopped.

"And now that we're here," said Joey, "we're gonna teach this Ramesus creep a lesson he won't forget!"

"He just had to make a school pun..." Tea sighed.

"He'll never learn," agreed Tristan, before realizing what he just said.

"I'll need you to fill me in on what's happened," said Yugi to LazyMan. "And then, we'll do what we can to help."

"Welcome aboard," said LazyMan, fumbling through a star-struck tongue.

As LazyMan began to fill Yugi and his friends in, CyberV watched silently.

'With Yugi Mutou here... They definitely don't need me now... I guess the time's come for me to bow out, once and for all.'

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 36: Yugi Returns: Regain Your Confidence, Warrior!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"And that's how we got to this point," finished LazyMan. Telling Yugi and his friends the story had taken a good half hour, one which had opened a lot of fresh wounds. "We're losing ground and morale, and CV's been pretty badly shaken by losing Jay."

"I see," said Yugi. "I fear this is worse than I expected. This Ramesus has unleashed a Shadow Game unlike any other. I don't know what he wants with all those stolen souls, but it can't be good."

"There's more," said Nat. "I watched Ramesus' duel against Jay. I can't be sure, but it felt like every time Jay made a move, Ramesus had a counter ready to go, like he knew what Jay was going to play before he played it."

"Did ya check his left eye?" asked Joey. Tea whapped him in the arm. "OW! WHAT?! It's a valid question! It ain't like we haven't dealt with freaky mind readers before..."

"True," said Yugi, "but I think they would have noticed the Millennium Eye. Besides, we know for a fact that the Items are long buried beneath the sands of Egypt."

"True," said Ishizu. "Very true. But there are other ways to spy upon enemies if you possess enough shadow power."

"So Jay... never had a chance?" asked Ashes. "Ramesus might have known his every card and strategy?"

"It's a very real possibility. I fear he may know ALL your decks, which will make him a difficult opponent to defeat in a duel." Ishizu was deeply concerned by this.

"So we need to rely on decks that haven't been used... Maybe not even constructed yet." Rex didn't like the sound of that. "If anything, whomever would use such a deck would be at an even greater disadvantage than before."

"But what other choice is there?" asked Magyk. "I mean, CV may have three decks, but it doesn't matter if Ramesus is ready for any of them."

"Not to mention that he's having confidence issues..." said Tristan. "No offense, man." He turned to face CyberV... who wasn't there. "WHAT THE?! HE DITCHED US!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" Joey dashed over and started searching the room, even looking under pillows and sofas. "That little-! When I get my hands on him..."

"Way to keep your cool, Dad..." muttered Hikari.

"Like you can talk..." responded Mouse, mentally noting the irony in her saying it.

"Ummm... I think Ikke's missing, too," said Ami. Sure enough, the obstinate ousted prince was indeed missing from the gathering.

"Oh, this just CAN'T be good..." muttered LazyMan. "We should spread out and try to find them before things get ugly."

"I doubt that will be necessary," said Yugi. "I think I know where we'll find them both."

* * *

CyberV stood at the center of Arena 3, taking it all in. The entire room was all but pitch black, shut down after the horrors that had taken place within.

"I'm sorry, Jay," he said, softly.

He closed his eyes and remembered getting the call for help. He'd immediately started running, only to be stopped by Kuno and her goons... Then the attack on Allis.

He remembered running right past Ramesus, who'd gleefully said "Too late." as he'd gone by. He remembered seeing Hikari and Nat on the ground... Ashes hugging Jay's duel disk... And the realization that he had failed his friends when they'd needed him most.

"You can't give up!" said Rocket Warrior, appearing next to CV. "All you've gotta do is beat Ramesus in a duel, and everyone comes back!"

"And if I lose, it could mean the end of the world," responded the despondent duelist. "I can't take that chance."

"Can't or won't?" asked Rocket Warrior. Red-Eyes growled mournfully as he appeared by CV's other side.

"I..."

"You're afraid."

CV turned towards the sound of the voice, even as the lights in the arena suddenly came on. Standing in the doorway was Ikke, his arms crossed, wearing a smug knowing look on his face.

"Now that you've been stripped of all the bluster and foolishness, that's really all there is to you, isn't it? Fear and cowardice."

"Go away, Ikke."

"No, I think not. I rather enjoy seeing this look in your eyes. Of course, now that I'm getting a better look at it, I do believe I've seen it somewhere before... Ah yes, the time we dueled. You were so tired that you kept falling asleep through the duel. But, be honest... You weren't tired at all, were you?"

CV looked away, unable to meet Ikke's gaze.

"No, I didn't think so. You knew you weren't strong enough to beat me, so you resorted to a childish trick to save face in front of the others." Ikke chuckled. "And to think that they believed you were the fabled Warrior of the Balance. How pathetic."

He began walking towards CV, enjoying the moment to the fullest. "So let's see... Your little megaphone war, that idiotic Spider-Rock... Idiocy, or did you have a reason for it? Perhaps hiding your fear through performance?"

CV didn't answer.

"I'll take that as a yes. 'CyberV for victory'. Those stupid poses. The foolish jokes and pop culture references that grate on the nerves just enough to rile the less tolerant... All just an act to hide the pathetic child with the nerve to pretend that he's some kind of hero."

Ikke reached CV at last. Standing just a few inches from his rival, he felt sick just thinking of CV that way.

"You have the nerve to promise me you'll save my people when you aren't even strong enough to save a single person. For all I care, you can go hide in a corner and wait for oblivion."

"You've made your point," said CV. "Now leave me alone."

"I'd love nothing better, but I've made a promise to someone special to me, and, apparently unlike you, I keep my promises. Now, the fates have dictated that it is to be the Warrior that saves this school and my people, and all but I believe it to be you. So, Warrior... Prove me right," he said as he got right in CV's face, "or prove me wrong."

"What do you want?" asked CV.

"A duel. No tricks. No stunts. Just you and me. The winner is the true Warrior of the Balance, the true savior of the world."

"And if I refuse?"

"You will return to that shell of a life you knew before fate deemed you worthy, and never darken these halls again."

"Sounds fine by me. I surr-"

Furious, Ikke backhanded CV, knocking him to the floor.

"DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THE EASY ROUTE, COWARD! YOU ARE GOING TO FACE ME, or so help me, I'll break every bone in your body."

CV pulled himself up.

"Well, when you put it that way..."

They both extended their duel disks.

"Put me in, Coach," said Rocket Warrior. "I still owe this guy for ruining a perfectly good nap."

"If that's what you want..." said CV as he selected his Rocket Warrior deck.

CyberV: 8000

Ikke: 8000

"And now," said Ikke. "The onslaught begins."

'But,' thought CyberV, 'what if it's like the other duels today? What if the loser... vanishes?'

* * *

"I'm surprised the Shadow Realm's so... quiet," admitted Jay. "I thought there'd be, I dunno, horrors and screaming."

"No doubt," said the Creator, "thou shalt experience both if thou doth insist upon tarrying here."

"You mean the shadow monsters, don't you?" He shuddered, remembering the trip that he and the others had taken to the Shadow Realm in order to save Rex and Ami. The shapeless little blobs completely absorbed Sonny and Carly, and while he wasn't sorry to see them gone, he still wouldn't have wished that fate on anyone.

"Yes, and they draw near. They sense thy presence. They sense thy soul, and yearn to feast upon it."

"You paint such a LOVELY picture of this place..." said Jay, deadpan.

"Come," said the Creator as he gestured, creating his throne. "We must make haste if we are to find those that have been vanquished..."

"Assuming," said Jay, as he got on, "that there's anything left to find."

* * *

"Ikke," said CV, "this is too risky! What if this counts towards Ramesus' shadow game?!"

"Then one of us will very soon have plenty of time to go find Jay." Ikke drew a sixth card.

"I'll begin with a card you should be familiar with: Painful Choice! Now, I choose five cards from my deck, and you pick one to add to my hand. The other four go to the graveyard." Guardian Angel Joan, Watapon, Mirage of Nightmare, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Dark Hole appeared.

"Ikke... Don't do this..."

"YOU'LL CHOOSE RIGHT NOW OR RISK A FORFEIT!" Ikke practically spat the words out, and CV cringed.

"All right... Watapon." The four other cards shattered as Ikke sent them to the grave. Watapon, an adorable puffball, automatically appeared on the field.

Watapon: 200/300

"For a sniveling coward, that was smart," said Ikke. "Since Watapon's special ability causes him to be automatically summoned when he's added to my hand by a spell card. And as a bonus for you, it means I'm left without a replacement card for my Painful Choice."

CV breathed a sigh of relief.

"But one good move doesn't a duel win, nor a Warrior forge!" Ikke looked at his hand. "But even worse for you, that wasn't my best move. I'll discard Night Assailant from my hand to activate it's special ability! Doing so allows me to return an effect monster in my graveyard to my hand!" He sent away his Assailant and his Joan was ejected. He took it back to his hand.

"Now I'll summon a monster facedown." A card appeared before him. "And one facedown as well." A card appeared behind Watapon. "Your move, if you have any."

"Okay..." CV drew. "I'll begin with Graceful Charity!" said CV. An angel appeared behind him. "Now I draw three cards from my deck, and discard two from my hand." He chose Hero Kid and Kaiser Sea Horse and sent them to the grave.

"I hope you got what you wanted," said Ikke. "You'll need all the help you can get."

"I got something all right," said CV. "I PLAY METEOR OF DESTRUCTION!" A massive comet appeared in the sky above Ikke and came crashing down. "It takes out 1000 of your life points!"

"A COWARDLY MOVE!" bellowed Ikke, ignoring the hologram.

CyberV: 8000

Ikke: 7000

"And I'll summon Disc Fighter in defense mode." An armored knight with a glowing green discus appeared.

Disc Fighter: 1000/1000

"And that activates my trap!" said Ikke. "CEASEFIRE! Now my facedown goes face up." His monster card vanished, revealing Witch of the Black Forest.

Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200

"And now, for every effect monster on the field, you lose 500 life points." CV glowed as his life points lowered.

CyberV: 6500

Ikke: 7000

"What? Surprised I'd borrow from your playbook? I'm guessing you're using the Rocket Warrior deck, which, as I recall, is filled with life point manipulation cards. It isn't a deck worthy of a Warrior, but of some spineless slug afraid to take his enemies head on."

"Maybe," said CV, "but I guess it has it's perks." He placed a card in a spell slot. "One card facedown, and that's it." A card appeared behind Disc Fighter.

"Your move is a joke," said Ikke. "If you were smart, you would at least have attacked my Watapon! Now that I have two monsters on my field..." he started before drawing, "I can sacrifice them for the all powerful Guardian Angel Joan!" Watapon and Witch of the Black Forest vanished as an armored and winged woman appeared on the field, ready to battle.

Guardian Angel Joan: 2800/2000

"And there's more. My Witch's special ability now activates," said Ikke. "And now I can add a dark monster to my hand with up to 1500 defense points! A monster like my Magical Marionette." The card ejected from Ikke's deck, and he happily added it to his hand.

"And now for another surprise... I remove Watapon and Witch from play!" Both cards ejected, and Ikke placed them back into his deck holster. "And now I can summon the powerful Chaos Sorcerer in attack mode!" A blue-skinned mage erupted onto the field, ready for battle.

Chaos Sorcerer: 2300/2000

"Not good..." muttered CV.

"JOAN! DESTROY DISC FIGHTER!" Joan drew her sword and flew forward, striking down Disc Fighter easily.

CyberV: 6500

Ikke: 8000

"What?!" CV was shocked.

"Another trick from your playbook. Joan's ability gives me extra life points equal to the original attack of monsters she destroys in battle!"

"Oh man..." CV didn't like where this was going.

"CHAOS SORCERER! CHAOS MAGIC!" Chaos Sorcerer aimed his hands at CyberV. A magical blast launched at CV, who tapped his disk.

"DRAINING SHIELD!" A force field appeared around CV, blocking the attack. "Nice try, Ikke, but Draining Shield can raise my life points a lot faster than your angel."

CyberV: 8800

Ikke: 8000

"Perhaps, but it can't save you a second time. Now make your move."

CV drew. 'Maybe if I try to end this in a tie, we'll both be safe... But I don't think I can pull that off, not with two of his strongest monsters on the field..." He looked at his hand. 'Maybe this will slow him down...'

"I summon Rocket Warrior in attack mode!" Rocket Warrior went visible and appeared, battle ready, on the field.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"You got a plan?"

"Sort of," said CV.

Rocket Warrior sweatdropped. "NOT that reassuring."

"Okay, now I equip him with Rocket Warrior Defense Squadron!" The card appeared on the field, and Rocket Warriors Red, Blue, and Yellow appeared on the field, crouching.

Rocket Warrior Tokens (3) : 1500/1300

"His Chaos Sorcerer has GOT to go," said CV. "Blue, Yellow! I sacrifice you to reduce his attack by 1000 points!"

"YES SIR!" yelled the two tokens as they transformed into missiles and launched, erupting against Chaos Sorcerer.

Chaos Sorcerer: 2300/2000 -1000/0 1300/2000

The Sorcerer staggered, weakened by the attacks.

"Rocket Warrior! NAIL HIM!"

"You've got it!" said Rocket Warrior as he slashed through Chaos Sorcerer, causing the mage to erupt.

CyberV: 8800

Ikke: 7800

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared behind Rocket Warrior Red.

"You'd have done more damage by sacrificing all three tokens," said Ikke. "Another mistake." He drew. "I play Monster Reborn!" he said. "To revive my Chaos Sorcerer!" The mage reappeared, as strong as ever.

"But he isn't staying," said Ikke as the Sorcerer faded away again. "I sacrifice him to summon ZABORG, THE THUNDER MONARCH!" A monestrous creature rose up, thunder and lightning storming behind him.

Zaborg, the Thunder Monarch: 2400/1000

"And now I activate his special ability! ZABORG! DESTROY HIS ROCKET WARRIOR!"

"...mommy...!" Rocket Warrior said, meekly, as lightning lashed out, striking him and causing him to explode. With his destruction, Rocket Warrior Red vanished as well.

"ROCKET WARRIOR!" exclaimed CV.

"I'm okay..." said the spirit, a bit charred. "But I do NOT recommend getting hit by lightning."

"I'll remember that," said CV.

"My Zaborg is impressive, yes?" asked Ikke. "Every bit the equal to your Mobius, and with the ability to destroy a monster without attacking. Simply marvelous. And now, to GET to said attacking. ZABORG! JOAN! ATTACK DIRECTLY!"

Before CV could react, a sword and lightning struck him dead on, bringing him to his knees.

CyberV: 3600

Ikke: 7800

"One more full assault should finish you off," said Ikke. "The next round shall surely be the last."

'He's right,' realized CyberV. 'He's got two insanely powerful monsters, and all I've got is one facedown. I'm out of moves! Whatever I draw could mean the difference between seeing tomorrow and joining Jay... Wherever he is.'

CyberV looked towards Ikke. 'He's obviously the stronger duelist. I'd better stop now while I've got some shred of dignity left.'

"Have you figured out yet that you can't win?" asked Ikke.

"OF COURSE HE CAN!"

Both duelists turned to see Yugi Mutou and virtually everyone else standing at the entrance, watching the proceedings.

"Don't stop now!" called out Ami. "You can do it! I know you can!"

"That's right!" said Joey. "A duel ain't over until the last card's played, right Yug'?"

"Right, Joey," said Yugi. "I know what you must be going through right now," he said. "I've been there. There was a time, long ago, where I was forced to make a horrible choice about who to save. I was dueling Kaiba at Duelist Kingdom, and he was standing on the edge of the castle's tower. He gave me a choice... I could attack him at the risk of seriously injuring him... or sacrifice what I thought was my only chance to save my grandfather. ...Not attacking Kaiba right then and there was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I thought I'd failed my grandfather... I believed I would never see him again... But with the help of my friends, and a little luck, in the end, I saved him anyway.

"It's all right to be afraid, and to doubt yourself. Everyone does. But you cannot let the fear and doubt to control you."

"I don't know if I can do that," admitted CV.

"You already have," said Ishizu, as she stepped forward. In her hand was a small remote control. She pressed the button on it, and CyberV's duel disk began to glow. Slowly, the red circle in the center began to rotate, slowly revealing a hidden chamber.

Lying inside was a black arm band. Attached to it was a golden wdjat.

"This is the Millennium Wdjat," said Ishizu. "Entrusted to a branch of the Arcane known as the Scarab, it represents the Yang to the Scepter of the Balance's Yin. When they are together, the Scepter becomes a force for the balance. Without it, as you have seen, it creates chaos and darkness."

"So that thing," asked Nat, "is what's caused his transformations?"

"Yes," said Ishizu. "During moments where his courage overcame his fears, it responded by giving him what he needed to succeed in his duty... Fighting prowess, shadow magic, knowledge of the ancient ways. Even when separated from him, it remained a part of him."

CyberV reached into the compartment and pulled out the Millennium Wdjat. He felt it pulse, and for a second saw the specter of Slifer within it.

"If you are truly meant to be the Warrior, you will be able to activate it at will, by summoning your courage and embracing your destiny."

Trembling, CV managed to slip the Wdjat onto his wrist, even as his disk sealed itself.

"Now's your chance," said Ikke. "Prove your valor. Win the day. If you can."

CV looked at Yugi, then Ishizu... Then to his friends and Spirits... And finally, towards Ikke.

"It's up to you to save the world," said Yugi. "Make your choice."

CV tensed, as a feeling of rightness began falling over him.

'Jay, wherever you are... this one's for you. I'll get you back. I promise.'

He swung his fist out to just below his mouth.

"MILLENNIUM POWER!" He instantly felt a surge of energy as his hair rose up and a golden wdjat appeared on his forehead.

"Woah..." Despite her sorrow, Ashes was astonished.

"You gave him his own morpher," said a slightly horrified Hikari to Ishizu. "You've created a monster."

Yugi just smiled slightly. Summoning the power was one thing. Using it wisely was quite another. The next few moves would tell the tale.

"So now you can change at will," said Ikke. "But a parlor trick means nothing. Your cards should speak for you."

"And they will," said CV as he drew. "First, I'll reveal my facedown! Bad Reaction to Simochi!" The card rose up, and mist began to fill the field. "And now, I play Upstart Goblin! Normally, you'd gain 1000 life points, but thanks to Simochi, you'll lose it instead!"

CyberV: 3600

Ikke: 6800

"A trifle," said Ikke.

"No," said CV. "A start. Now I can draw one new card." He did. "And it happens to be Pot of Greed!" The Pot appeared. "Now I can draw two more cards." He did, and the Pot shattered.

"Now I place one monster facedown," he said. A monster card appeared. "And now I play Swords of Revealing Light!" As the card appeared, energy blades shot out, surrounding Zaborg and Joan.

"Now you can't attack for three turns," said CV. "Which buys me the time I need to replenish my hand and develop a true counter strategy."

"So you hope," said Ikke. He drew. "All I need to do is draw my Heavy Storm, and it's all over."

"And I doubt you will," said CV, with a smirk. "But feel free to try."

Ikke looked at his new card. "I play Magic Copier! It allows me to play one card you have in your graveyard, as long as it's a spell. And if it specifies a specific amount of damage to your life points, I can triple the effect damage it does! So now I choose your Meteor of Destruction!" Meteor of Destruction appeared, and crashed down on CV. CV stood his ground, unimpressed.

"You're right. Move of a coward. You done?"

CyberV: 600

Ikke: 6800

Ikke didn't dignify that with a response.

"Then it's my turn," said CV as he drew. "First, I reveal my facedown monster, the Magician of Faith!" The card glowed, and the waifish spellcaster appeared.

Magician of Faith: 300/400

"That activates her special ability, which lets me select one spell card from my graveyard and add it to my hand." His graveyard ejected a card. "And I choose my Pot of Greed!" He placed the card into a spell slot and the Pot reappeared for a moment as he drew two more cards.

"Now I place one card facedown," he said as a card appeared behind the Magician of Faith. "And I play my own Mirage of Nightmare. Now, on your turn, I can draw until I have four cards, but on my turn, four cards will go to the graveyard."

"And your facedown is no doubt Emergency Provisions, correct?"

"You've got it," said CV. "An old move, but a good move. But this next one's all new. Now, I remove Rocket Warrior and Kaiser Sea Horse from play to summon a brand new monster!" Kaiser Sea Horse and Rocket Warrior appeared briefly as CV took the cards from his graveyard and placed them in his deck holster. "Behold the Soul of Purity and Light!" Another angel appeared on the field, but this one emanated tranquility.

Soul of Purity and Light: 2000/1800

"Of course, I'd lose her if I attacked you now, so I'll end my turn."

"Fine," said Ikke as he drew.

"And that activates Mirage of Nightmare. Now I draw 4 cards since my hand is empty." CV drew. "And I'll activate Emergency Provisions, to sacrifice it and gain 1000 life points!" The card rose up and both vanished.

CyberV: 1600

Ikke: 6800

"No amount of cards will save you," said Ikke. "I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in defense mode." The armored warrior appeared, crouching.

D.D. Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"Now make your move or surrender. After my next turn, you're finished."

"We'll see," said CV. "I play Premature Burial!" The card appeared and glowed. "First, I pay 800 life points, but it allows me to summon a monster from my graveyard. Namely, my Hero Kid!" An armored boy appeared, crouching.

CyberV: 800

Ikke: 6800

Hero Kid: 300/600

"And that activates his special ability. When he's special summoned, I can summon two more from my deck! Come on out, boys!" His deck glowed, and two more Hero Kids emerged.

Hero Kid (2 and 3) : 300/600

"And now I'll sacrifice all three!" The three Kids faded away.

"You wouldn't DARE..." muttered Ikke.

"Oh, I dare," said CV. "It's Raigeki in a shiny suit of armor... GILFORD THE LIGHTNING, COME ON DOWN!" Lightning struck, and made way for an armored warrior with a very large sword.

Gilford the Lightning: 2800/1400

"And now his special ability activates! Zaborg, Joan, D.D.? See ya." The three monsters flickered, then erupted, leaving Ikke wide open.

"Go ahead," said Ikke. "Attack me directly. You still can't wipe me out entirely on this turn."

"I still have two cards left, Ikke. And one happens to be my Megamorph!" He turned his card around, and Ikke's eyes widened.

"Now I equip it to Soul of Purity and Light!" Megamorph appeared behind the angel.

Soul of Purity and Light (equipped) : 4000/1800

"Ikke," said CV. "Thank you. No matter what happens in the next few seconds, know that you've helped me more than you know. You may be the most egotistical jerk I've ever met, but ultimately, you're also a good man."

"Make your move," said Ikke, smirking. "Warrior."

CV nodded in acknowledgment. "SOUL OF PURITY AND LIGHT! HEAVEN'S WING!" The angel's wings grew and spread out, enveloping Ikke.

CyberV: 800

Ikke: 2800

"And now, Gilford the Lightning! LIGHTNING BLITZ!" Gilford the Lightning charged forward. Ikke stared down the charging monster, not flinching as the blade passed through him.

CyberV: 800

Ikke: 0

The monsters and Swords of Revealing Light faded away.

There was a pause.

"Ikke's still there, right?" asked CV, his hair no longer standing up and the wdjat gone from his forehead.

"Yes..." said several of the Good Duelists, a few a bit disappointed.

"Looks like he's back," said Hikari. "We're doomed again."

"There's just no pleasing you, is there?" asked Tristan.

"Ummm... No, not really." Tristan flopped.

"Well played," said Ikke. "You're finally ready to be the Warrior for real."

"And you have become the prince your people need," said CV as he walked over to his rival. He held out his hand. After a second's hesitation, Ikke took it.

"It looks like things are getting back on track," noted Yugi.

"I hope so," said LazyMan. "We have a long fight ahead of us, even WITH the Warrior back to normal."

"So..." said Ami, popping up behind Ishizu. "...Do you have more of those things? I'm thinking if we have four more, we could do an awesome sentai riff..."

Ishizu wisely just cocked an eyebrow and looked at her, bemused. "The Millennium Wdjat is not a toy."

"Tell that to the dork," muttered Nat, who was watching as CV started fiddling with the mystical item.

"Hooboy..." Joey sighed. "This is NOT gonna be one of the better vacations..."

"When have we EVER had a good vacation?" asked Tea.

"Good point."

"So," said Rex. "Can we get back to saving the school now?"

"Definitely," said CV. "Rocket Warrior? Red-Eyes? You with me?"

"Ummm..." Rocket Warrior suddenly looked stricken. "Is it me, or is the room spinning?" He put his hand to his head. CV looked to see Red-Eyes, no longer able to fly, lying on the ground.

"Guys?"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Flame Sprite appeared, screaming in agony before fading away.

"SPRITE!" exclaimed Ashes.

"HIKARI!" yelled Flame Swordsman. "THE AGONY! IT'S TEARING ME APART!" He faded as well.

"NO!" Hikari reached for her spirit, but could do nothing to help him

"CYBER DRAGON!" Nat watched in horror as her dragon roared in pain and faded away.

* * *

"Something is happening," said Ryu Kokki. "Suddenly I feel ill, as though another is siphoning my power."

"What is it?" asked Ramesus.

"Something as evil as you and I... Something delicious."

* * *

"We should be clear of the creatures soon, right?" asked Jay. "Right?"

Getting no answer, he looked towards his spirit, only to see the Creator slumped over his arm rest and fading away.

"oh no..." The chair began to fall as the shadow creatures watched with delight. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

The Creator vanished completely, and his throne crashed to the ground with Jay still calling to him...

* * *

"What's happening?!" demanded Ashes. "They've vanished!"

"I fear that another evil has risen," said Ishizu. "If duel spirits are vanishing, it can only mean that the God Demon Cards have been summoned."

"You mean there's nothing we can do?" asked Nat.

"I am afraid not. I fear that right now, the fate of this war, the lost students, and your spirit friends are all in the hands of another. All we can do is wait."

"Try to hang on, both of you," said CV.

"We'll... try..." Rocket Warrior's words trailed off as his knees buckled.

"Guys..." CV watched as Red-Eyes and Rocket Warrior collapsed completely at his feet, perhaps never to rise again...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: While Jaden Duels: One Hour of Silence


	37. While Jaden Duels: One Hour of Silence

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The war at long last erupted at the Arcane Academy, and duelists began to fall by the dozens, including Jay of the Good Duelists. The loss shook the Good Duelists and stole CyberV's confidence, but a concerted effort by Ikke, as well as a pep talk by Yugi Mutou, restored it. Ishizu revealed the secret of CyberV's transformations, the Millennium Wdjat, which was hidden inside his duel disk. As the Good Duelists prepared to return to the fight, the duel spirits suddenly cried out in agony. Jay found himself alone in the Shadow Realm, and in mortal peril, as Creator vanished. The reason why was at Duel Academy, where Jaden Yuki found himself face to face against the forbidden God Demon Cards...

* * *

"We've confirmed it," said LazyMan. "I just spoke to Chancellor Sheppard's assistant. The God Demon cards are being used right now. Almost every Duel Monsters card's lost their picture."

"And the one fighting them is this Jaden Yuki guy?" asked CV.

"That's what I was told."

"He'll win. He has to." From what he remembered, Ishizu had once told him that Jaden was like him, a chosen Duelist, possibly another Warrior. Jaden had his own destiny, but at this moment, their futures were entwined. If Jaden failed, the war was almost certainly destined to end with no winner... and that would mean that Jay and all the other missing would never return. And that was without considering that Duel Monsters would come to an end, and the Duel Spirits would never return... maybe even perish. As it was, only Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes were still present, and they were unconscious, living within their cards and barely hanging on.

"I know this must be hard on you," said LazyMan. "Especially after Jay..."

"We'll get them back. All of them."

CV looked up to the sky. It was hard to believe that the entire war had so far only been about ten hours. Night would fall soon... It would no doubt be a very restless one.

"Good luck, Jaden... We're all with you."

* * *

Timezones away, Jaden Yuki looked up one of the biggest monsters ever created.

And grinned. This was gonna be fun!

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 37: While Jaden Duels: One Hour of Silence

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"They're all blank..." Yugi looked at his deck and scowled with concern. The deck that held his heart was completely blank. He could still read them, yes, but their essence was gone, and to him, it was a terrible loss. He had only recently retrieved his deck from Kaiba's world tour, thanks to Hikari. Having it back made him feel almost whole again.

Instinctively, he put his hand to his chest, forgetting for a moment that the Millennium Puzzle was no longer around his neck... That the Pharaoh, his other self, was no longer with him. In a way, his relationship with Atem was like the one that several of the students at the Academy had with Duel Spirits. Bonded, sharing a soul... Losing them, even temporarily, had to be traumatic. And all on top of what Ramesus had already inflicted...

Yugi narrowed his eyes. He wouldn't allow Ramesus to bring the world into darkness. One way or another, the villain would be stopped.

"I... I wanted to thank you for before," said CV, coming up to Yugi.

"Hmmm?"

"What you said during the duel. It... It helped me get my head on straight. Helped me to find the strength to continue the fight."

"You would have found that resolve on your own," said Yugi. "I could see it in you the moment I walked into that room." Yugi smiled, softly. "I can tell that you're not the type to desert a friend in need."

"I try not to. I never had friends before I came here. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt them."

"So," said Yugi, "how do you intend to start?"

"Simple," said CV. "The others told me about Ishizu's belief that Ramesus knows all our decks. The first thing I need to do is build a new one..."

Yugi chuckled, knowingly. "I think I can help you with that..."

* * *

Ashes looked towards the west, where the sun was just beginning to set. Standing with her was Nat, ever the loyal friend.

"The hurt... It won't go away, " she said, miserably. "First Jay, now Flame Sprite. I... I'm afraid that everyone I care about is just going to vanish."

"You know that's not going to happen."

"My brother vanished on me," she said. "One minute he was there, my big, unwavering protector... And then..." She snapped her fingers. "Gone. He died saving my life..."

Nat nodded, having heard the story before. She knew Ashes had been forced to face her brother's ghost in a duel several months ago. She couldn't even begin to imagine how horrible that must have been. To get her brother back, but have to fight him and watch as he went away again...

Ramesus had really crossed the line that time. Of all his attacks, that one had, by far, been the most personal.

"When I came here, Jay became the one I felt safe with. When I needed someone to lean on, there he was. He could always make me laugh... Even not miss home. At times, I could even almost forget that my brother wasn't waiting for me there."

Nat smiled softly. She could see why Ashes had fallen in love with Jay. Just like she had. But she'd grown to accept that she and Jay would only be friends and nothing more, and while she envied Ashes for being closer to him, she accepted it as the way things were meant to be.

"And now Jay's gone. Just like my brother... And he went just like my brother, too... Protecting someone that couldn't defend themself." Nat winced. "I'm proud of him for that... But I'm so angry at him, too. I keep thinking that he should have thought of something else to save Tapkar... Or... Oh, I don't know... It just keeps running through my head..."

"I've been doing the same thing," said Nat. "I still don't know what he could have done differently. Ramesus has shadow powers and Jay... doesn't."

"No, and neither do we... The closest we've ever come are the duel spirits... Flame Sprite's the sister I never had... She and I have been inseparable, ever since the warehouse fire. And now she's missing too... Maybe..." She almost broke down again, but steeled herself.

"If they're gone, I won't stop until Ramesus pays, Nat. I swear, I won't."

"I don't doubt you, but like you said, you don't have shadow powers. You can't beat him one on one. Only one person on our side can, and the dork can't be everywhere."

"I know... It's just... Why couldn't he have been with US?" She couldn't help shouting the last word, the stress and anxiety getting to her. "It's horrible and selfish of me, but every time I think about Allis, I blame her and I blame HIM for HELPING her! He was TWENTY FEET AWAY, and it might as well have been twenty MILES."

"That explains the slap." Nat said it calmly, but she couldn't help the hint of sadness that tinged her own voice.

Ashes flushed. "I... I didn't mean to do that."

"He had a crush on you, you know."

Ashes nodded. "I know. The minute we first met, I knew, back on the plane that brought us together. I actually thought he was kinda... well, cute, in that immature goofball kind of way. But more like a kid brother than anything. Even when he transformed, he was still the biggest blasted showoff I've ever seen."

"Too true," said Nat.

"I guess that's kinda why Jay and I tried to set you two up together."

Nat flopped, then shot up.

"WHAT?!"

"Well, it's not like you're low key with those Cyber Dragon monsters of your's."

"So I'm a showoff?!"

"...Yeah, pretty much."

Nat considered that, and sighed. "I hate it when you're right. But me and the dork? Never happen."

"I dunno. We thought you'd be kinda good together."

"Then you've lost your mind, too," said Nat with a wry smile.

"If you say so..." said Ashes in a tone that clearly said she didn't buy the denials for an instant. "But when you talk about how he saved Big Andy, or your Cyber Dragon, there's suddenly a hint of something in your voice that's never there otherwise. I'm not sure what, but it's there."

Now it was Nat's turn to feel her face flush red.

"Well well," said Ashes. "A crack in that emotional armor you wear all the time." She smirked. "So there IS something there."

"I..." Nat sweatdropped.

"Relax," said Ashes. "I won't tell... But... you think he can get Jay back?"

"Yeah," said Nat, looking at the sunset. "I really do."

* * *

"I really, REALLY HATE THIS PLACE!" Jay ran as fast as he could, wondering what had happened to the Creator. All he knew was that they'd been about 80 feet above the floor of the Shadow Realm when his spirit had suddenly vanished, leaving him alone in a throne he couldn't steer. The crash had been painful, to say the least, and the throne had gotten trashed in the process.

At least he had weapons, though. He held a couple good sized chunks from the throne, the perfect things to smack away the shadow creatures when they caught up.

And they were catching up REAL fast.

He could only catch quick glimpses of them, but they were the same shapeless black blobs he remembered from before, craving the taste of human soul.

He was NOT inclined towards being on the menu.

"Man, I miss the others..." he muttered out loud.

With no better plan, he kept running. He had already lost all sense of time. He didn't know if he'd been in the Realm for hours or days... He only knew the hissing and growling of the creatures.

And he knew one other thing... They could jump.

He turned and saw one leaping, trying to latch onto his back. If that happened, they'd bring him down in no time.

"NOT TODAY!" he shouted as he swung one of his makeshift weapons, smacking it away like it was a baseball. It flew off into the distance, but he knew there were plenty more to take it's place.

Like the thirty he saw massing where the one had fallen.

"...Time to run again." He did.

* * *

"It's confirmed," said McMike. "Every card on campus has gone white."

"Annoying," said Ramesus. "And there's nothing to do but wait. After all, we can't wage a war without ammunition, now can we?"

"I can," said McMike.

"Of course you can," said Ramesus, amused.

"There's more," said the ninja enthusiast. "We're still trying to pin down exactly WHEN, but..."

Ramesus looked at him. "Spit it out."

"Yugi Mutou is here. In the school."

Ramesus narrowed his eyes and turned away from McMike.

"Surprising, but far from unexpected. His goddaughter is here, after all." He began walking away from McMike, just a few feet, before stopping, his back still turned. "This does complicate things, however. The Warrior's been taken care of, but the King of Games is another animal entirely. Is he alone?"

"No. He brought his usual entourage with him, and Ishizu Ishtar."

"So we'll have to deal with four very experienced pests," said Ramesus. "No bother. I've come too far for the likes of Joey Wheeler to be any sort of a threat."

* * *

"I'm glad you're here, Dad," said Hikari. "Things have been pretty rough here."

"Like I'd ever miss a good scrap," said Joey. "And besides, Joey Wheeler never lets down a friend, much less his own daughter!"

Hikari fiddled with her deck holster for a moment. "Dad... I... I wasn't exactly honest with you about my first week here."

"Hmmm? Whatcha mean?"

Hikari looked away. "Dad, you and Uncle Yugi have always taught me to duel with honor and integrity. But... But when I accepted the invitation to come here, I was filled with anger and jealousy, and I was willing to do almost anything to fix an imagined wrong..."

"What're you saying, Hikari?"

"I... I cheated in a duel, Dad. Against the dork... I thought he'd stolen those two cards and I just wanted to get them back so badly, that I used a list of his cards to use against him in a duel."

"You WHAAAAAAAT?!?!" Joey shot out of his seat and put her in a headlock. "What have I told you about cheating?! Don't you ever listen?!?!"

"ACK! I DESTROYED THE LIST! I SWEAR! He figured out what was going on and got my head on straight!" She pulled free from her dad and turned to face him. "And ever since, I've played straight and narrow. Totally clean."

"Did ya learn yer lesson?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. And I gained a friend I hadn't expected."

"Good," said Joey. "Thanks for telling me."

"I know you're disappointed in me, and you have every right to be... Especially... Especially after that guy I dueled a couple hours ago."

"Aw come ON..." groaned Joey. "What ELSE did ya do?"

"After Jay's... incident... I was... I was so ANGRY that I jumped the first evil duelist I could find and... I dueled the tar out of him, totally terrorized him, and made sure he went to the same place as all the missing students."

"You dueled for revenge. Did it make ya feel any better?"

"No... Not at all."

"Good. Then ya learned somethin'."

Hikari relaxed visibly.

"Now would ya hurry up and give yer old man a hug already! Sheesh! What's a guy gotta do around here?!"

Hikari smiled and gave him the biggest hug ever.

* * *

"I'm glad you guys are here," said Mokuba. "Things have been nuts around here all year. I mean, the first day here, those nuts are blowing up storage warehouses."

"Yeah, so we've heard," said Tea. "How are the students holding up?"

"They're scared out of their wits," said Mokuba. "But some of the unaffiliated students are trying to rally them... Not much luck, though. They're all just too afraid of Ramesus."

"I'd like to get my hands on that little punk..." Tristan punched his hand with his fist.

"Yeah. Beat up someone that hasn't even reached the driving age. Real nice..." Tea sighed. "So, Mokuba, how can we help?"

"Honestly, Tea? I just don't know. I just have this horrible feeling that as bad as things are... Ramesus hasn't even started TRYING yet."

* * *

"Okay," said CV as he looked at all his cards, spread out neatly along two tables. With them all blanked, the only way to tell them apart was the name on each card, which was going to make it a lot harder to do the job. "All three of my decks."

"An impressive assortment," admitted Yugi. "You've devised some powerful strategies."

"Not impressive enough," said CV. "Not if I'm gonna stop Ramesus."

"And you're sure you want to combine these decks?"

"Yeah," said CV. "It's the only way to create a deck unpredictable enough that Ramesus won't be able to counter my moves."

"Nothing's unpredictable. Not if you believe in the heart of the cards."

"Right now," said CV. "The cards with the heart are out of commission. But I'm hoping they'll be back soon." He glanced at his Duel Spirits' cards.

Yugi looked around CV's dormroom, and spotted a fourth holster. "What's this?" he asked, picking it up. He glanced inside. "A fourth deck?"

"My original deck. I called it Underdog. I abandoned it when I came here, even dismantled it. But something made me put it back together."

"Then maybe," said Yugi, handing the holster to CV, "you should add these cards to your arsenal again."

CV looked at the holster. "Maybe..."

* * *

"Okay," said Forest as he looked at his mostly blank cards. "This is creepy. With a capital CREEP."

"Would you PLEASE stop it?" asked Mech.

"Yes," said StrongMan. "You're frightening the other students more than they already are."

"I don't think that's possible," admitted Tapkar. "They keep pumping me for more on what happened in Arena 3."

"And what have you told them?"

"The truth..."

"Oh, WONDERFUL..." StrongMan groaned. Now they were bound to be afraid of their own shadows.

* * *

Ishizu found LazyMan's office quite abandoned. It would prove useful enough to help her gather her thoughts.

"The Warrior faces difficult times," she said. "And the true test lies ahead. I pray he's ready to face the darkness."

She looked at the small box she'd brought with her.

"And if he is not..."

* * *

"It's done," said Ikke as he entered the infirmary. "He's back to his old self."

Allis sat up, relieved. "I knew you could do it!" She hugged him hard. "Is he going to stop Ramesus?"

"He's going to try, and I will help where I can." He paused. "He must win this battle, if my country is to survive and be free of my father's tyranny."

Something dawned on Allis. "It hurts you, doesn't it? Not being the chosen one?"

"Yes," said Ikke. "All this time I have trained to stop my father... I... I resent having to rely on such a fool for salvation."

"He means well," she said. "He's a good guy."

"Perhaps," allowed Ikke. "But he's still the most annoying, aggravating twit I have ever met and... Why is that THING holding vigil over you?"

He stared at Spider-Rock, which was perched in the chair next to Allis' bed.

Both sweatdropped.

"I have NO idea how it got there."

They stared at it again, before shrugging.

Spider-Rock offered no explanation.

* * *

"An impressive trick," admitted Magyk as he stared at the blanked cards. "Whatever these God Demon things are, they sure pack a wallop."

"Indeed they do," said Poison, the sudden announcement of his presence being enough to make Magyk turn, instinctively ready for a fight. "God Demon things? What are you talking about?"

"You'll never know," said Magyk. "And what do you want?"

"I just thought you'd like to know that Ramesus knows that Yugi Mutou is at the school. He'll be ready for him."

"I doubt it," said Magyk.

"And by that confidence," said Poison, "I'm guessing that my illustrious leader underestimated CyberV's resolve." He smirked. "Good."

"'Good'?"

"Hey, I may be evil, but I don't have any interest in ending the world or stealing souls." He shrugged. "Personally, I'm in it for the babes."

Magyk sweatdropped.

"In any case," said Poison. "I thought you might like some advance warning."

"Thanks," said Magyk. "Won't you get in trouble for this?"

"Pfft." Poison waved it off. "Way I see it, if I don't, we ALL pay the price."

He walked away, smoke billowing out from his body to cover his exit. When it cleared, he was gone.

* * *

"The time draws near," said Jimbo, alone in his room. "Soon, I shall strike, and none, not even the fool who dares believe that he is my master, shall stop me from reclaiming what is rightfully mine."

His eyes glowed red in the darkness...

* * *

"It's been almost an hour," said Mouse, checking her watch.

"If this Jaden guy's gonna stop the God Demon Cards, he'll do it any minute now," added Drift.

"I know," said LazyMan. "And the minute he does, this war is back on."

"I'll get everyone ready," said Drift. He turned and left.

"Are you worried?" asked Mouse.

"I'd be insane not to be worried," said LazyMan. "Mouse..."

"I know," she said, taking his hand. She kissed him on the cheek. "No matter what, we find each other again when this is over."

* * *

"Its way too quiet," said Rex. "Wars aren't supposed to be quiet."

"Wars aren't supposed to be," retorted Ami. "Period."

"No argument here," said Rex. "So, how are things with you and your guy?"

"It's going all right," she said. 'But he's been distracted for a couple days now."

"If I remember right, he was possessed by his duel spirit, vandalized the cafeteria, and started fighting an insane shadow battle. Not exactly a lot of time for romance, right?"

"No... No, I guess not..." admitted Ami. "I just hope that whatever he's doing right now helps put an end to this nightmare."

* * *

"It's done," said CV as he gathered the chosen cards into a single holster. "One deck unifying all my strategies into a single package."

"Hopefully," said Yugi, "it will be enough."

"Yeah... Hopefully..."

"You're worried about the spirits?"

"Honestly? No. Jaden will pull through. I have faith in him and in destiny. We didn't come this far to fail now. Any minute now, he's going to save the world, and then, it'll be our turn to do the same."

* * *

Jaden Yuki was primed and in the zone. "ELEMENTAL HERO ELECTUM! FINISH HIM OFF!" His Hero, a fusion of four of his best monsters, leapt forward with a wicked looking blade and sliced through one of the God Demons, destroying it utterly and bringing the psycho that had summoned them to zero.

"And that's game!" He saluted, his usual duel ending tag.

It was all over but the accolades... Whatever THAT word meant.

* * *

The effect was immediate across the globe, as card images began reappearing.

"My... My deck!" Forest looked as his cards returned to normal. "They're all coming back!"

"Great," said Strong Man. "Now we can all go be in mortal peril again..."

* * *

"ASHES!" Ashes looked up at the sound of the familiar voice, just in time to see Flame Sprite and Cyber Dragon appear. She would have hugged the little spirit if she'd been able to.

"You're back!" Ashes almost cried. Nat just gave a thankful nod to Cyber Dragon, who growled in response.

"Did ya miss me?" she asked.

"Not at all." Ashes smiled.

* * *

"Oh man oh man oh man..." Jay looked in all directions. He was surrounded by the shadow creatures. "Looks like this is the Alamo, and I'm a Texan..."

The shadow creatures leapt to swarm him... but a golden glow knocked them all away at the last instant. He turned to see the Creator, hale and hearty.

"BACK, VILE SCAVENGERS! Ye'll not sup upon innocent soul today!"

"I never thought I'd miss that silver tongue of your's..." Jay breathed a sigh of relief. "Now let's get the heck OUTTA here!"

"Indeed." The Creator gestured, and a new throne appeared. Jay scrambled on as the duel spirit lowered into the chair.

"And could you try flying lower this time? Just in case..."

* * *

"Flame Swordsman!" Hikari whooped for joy as her spirit reappeared.

"I am pleased to see that you're unharmed," he said.

"I'll bet," she said with a grin.

Joey blinked, confused. "Ummm... Who are you talking to?"

"Flame Swordsman. He's standing right next to you."

Joey looked right at the spirit, but saw nothing.

"Oooooookay... Backing away now..."

* * *

Ramesus barely glanced as Ryu Kokki awoke.

"Welcome back."

"A pity," said Ryu Kokki. "I was having the most wonderful nightmare..."

* * *

CyberV watched as Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes opened their eyes.

"Have a nice nap?" he asked.

"In a word... No." Rocket Warrior stretched. "What happened?"

"A long story," said CV. "But it doesn't matter now. With the spirits back, and the cards returning to normal, the war'll start up again at any moment."

"Ugh. I was hoping that part was a bad dream."

"Afraid not." CV holstered his new deck.

"So, what do we do now?" asked the spirit.

"We gather the team," said CV. "I have a plan."

* * *

"Okay, we're together," said Void. "Now what?"

"Now," said Drift, "we listen."

"What's going on?" asked Ashes.

"It's simple," said CV. "Now that the war is set to resume, we have a chance to take the fight to Ramesus... To stop being reactive and be proactive."

"You want to fight him on his turf?" asked Nat.

"Yes, but there's a far more important goal to accomplish." He looked at everyone in the room. Yugi nodded, approving of the plan. "Somewhere in their area of the school lies the key to stopping the war and getting back everyone that's been lost. We have to find that key, whatever it is..."

He looked everyone square in the eye. "To stop the war, we need to find the Scepter of the Balance, no matter the cost!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: The Dueling Detective, Once More on the Trail


	38. The Dueling Detective!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ramesus became corrupted by the Scepter of the Balance when he took it, gaining tremendous and deadly powers. He then hid it. CyberV revealed a particular fondness for the manga series "Case Closed", especially when he used a Jimmy Kudo costume to get Big Andy out of trouble. Ramesus revealed the story of his origin to Allis, including a tale about a golden wdjat that connected him to Slifer and a sect of the Arcane known as the Scarab. CyberV received the Millennium Wdjat, the secret to his transformations and the second half of the Scepter. War broke out, and, to save the Academy, CyberV realized that he had to track down the Scepter once for all... and built a new deck to help him do it. Meanwhile, Jay found himself in the Shadow Realm, and with the Creator, decided to explore it and find the other missing students.

* * *

Nat and Ami leaned against the wall of CyberV's dormroom as he searched for something in his closet, the door shut.

"Okay," said Nat. "I get that you're back in the fight and I get that we need the Scepter to bring down Ramesus and get Jay and the other students back... But what, exactly, is in your room that's gonna help us do it?"

Hidden by his closet door, CV smirked. "It's simple," he said. "To recover the Scepter, we first need to FIND the scepter."

"And you know how to do it?" asked Ami.

"That I do," said CV. "It's time to turn to an old friend of mine for help."

His closet door swung open suddenly. Instead of his usual academy uniform, CV was dressed in a familiar blue suit, complete with a red bowtie.

"It's time Jimmy Kudo got back on the case!"

Ami's eyes went wide with glee. "I love it!"

Nat sweatdropped. "It's gonna be one of THOSE days, isn't it?"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 38: The Dueling Detective, Once More on the Trail

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"You have GOT ta be kidding me!" Joey looked at CV's outfit and felt the newfound sense of hope fading quickly. "Your big plan is a Halloween costume?"

"Actually, that was the Shadow..." started Ashes. "...Which doesn't really matter now so I'll just go stand over here and be quiet..."

"Good thing they never saw Danny Phantom of the Opera..." muttered Rocket Warrior.

"...Did he just say what I think he said?" whispered Hikari.

"Afraid so," whispered back Nat.

"No offense," said LazyMan, "but I fail to see how wearing that costume is going to help with anything."

"Plus, the bowtie makes you look like a dork," added Tristan.

"He doesn't need the bowtie to do that..." sighed Mouse, resisting the urge to clock CV in the skull only because they needed him conscious.

"It's all about perspective," said CV. "Lazy, for months, you and I have been driving around the city blindly, hoping for some trace of the Scepter... And that tactic's failed miserably. So I think it's time to change tactics. Instead of relying on shadow power to uncover it, we rely on brain power."

"I won't say it," said Ikke. "It's too easy."

"I see where you're going with this," said Yugi. "You've been thinking like a duelist with a destiny... When you needed to be thinking like a detective on a case."

"Exactly," said CV. "And it wouldn't be the first time."

"That's right..." said Ashes. "He figured out his initiation duel was rigged... AND that Hikari had his decklist!"

"And I REALLY wish people would let that go already..." said a chagrined Hikari.

"Yes," said CV. "In both instances, I put my duelist ways aside and thought the way Jimmy Kudo would think. Instead of instinct and luck, I used logic and reasoning."

"And you're going to apply these principles to the search for the Scepter," said Drift. "Okay, I get that... So, why the costume?"

"...Okay, maybe a LITTLE of this is just for kicks." The group flopped.

"WOULD YOU GET SERIOUS ALREADY?!?!" Joey grabbed CV by the collar and started shaking him.

CV met his gaze. "I'm completely serious. If we continue operating the way we have, Ramesus will win. Period. We need to find the Scepter right NOW if we're gonna save the world. Slipping into this character may be the only way to stop this insanity, so let go of me and let me get to work."

"I hate to say it," said Tristan, "but it's all we've got."

Muttering under his breath, Joey let go.

"Okay, here's what we know: Ramesus left the Academy on foot and was missing for approximately five hours, give or take. LazyMan and I paid a visit to the taxi and bus services in town, and no one saw a big golden wand. Short of hitchhiking, we can therefor assume that wherever Ramesus went, it was on foot. Allowing time to return to the Academy, that means that wherever Ramesus went, it had to be within 2.5 hours running distance from the school."

"But," said Magyk, "Couldn't he have taken a cab or bus back here?"

"We checked into that, too," said CV. "No cab stopped within 10 blocks of the Academy that day, and no bus driver recognized a picture of Ramesus. No, wherever he went, it was on foot, and he returned the same way."

"So, how big an area are we talking about?" asked Drift.

"It's difficult to say," said CV. "We don't know how fast Ramesus can run, or how quickly the Scepter could have affected him. Since we don't have time to calculate an average, we'll have to assume he was operating within a six mile radius. Ramesus isn't a trained athlete, so that's probably a bit generous, but we have to compensate for any extra energy and stamina he would have gained from the Scepter."

"That's still most of the city," said Hikari. "We need to narrow it down."

"And that's where another detective skill comes in," said CV. "Namely, profiling. You see, Ramesus may like to spread the shadow power around, but he's also smart enough to know that none of the other Evil Duelists can really be trusted. You know that Jimbo or Greekman would pounce on the Scepter if they could, especially after seeing what it could do in Ramesus' control. So if there's any hint as to where it is, it has to be in a place that no one can get to without Ramesus' permission. A place where he has absolute and unquestioned control over his surroundings."

CV smirked.

"In other words, I need to break into his office and have a look around."

"That's crazy!" exclaimed Tea. "That entire wing of the school is swarming with his followers. They'd catch you in no time!"

"Plus," said LazyMan, "there's no guarantee that, even if you get into his office, that there'd be anything to find."

"I realize it's a gamble," said CV. "But right now, a gamble's better than doing nothing at all. I have the Millennium Wdjat and all of you, yes, but let's face it... That isn't enough. We need to level the balance of power if we're going to stop the apocalypse Slifer showed me and Ashes."

Ashes nodded, remembering the horrors she'd seen. "He's right. We don't have a choice."

"...Fine," said LazyMan. "But how exactly do we get you into his office?"

"That's the easiest part," said Yugi. "We turn his own tactics against him..."

* * *

Ramesus looked at the night sky through his office window.

"Beautiful. The sun sets on the first day of my conquest, an unqualified success, if I do say so myself."

"You celebrate too quickly," warned Ryu Kokki. "You have vanquished the Warrior, but now Yugi Mutou is involved. He must not be underestimated."

"True, but he no longer has his shadow power. Without it, he is but a man, and all men can fall. When I begin phase 2, he will meet his end just like all the rest."

"You had better be right," said Ryu Kokki.

"Oh, I am," said Ramesus. "And in the meantime, it's past time I checked on the spoils of war, is it not?" He closed his eyes, and the blood-red wdjat appeared on his forehead.

When he opened his eyes again, his mind was somewhere else, deep within the Shadow Realm. But he scowled instead of smiling.

"It seems my greatest prize to date is missing. Unacceptable." He turned towards the darkness on the horizon.

"Do you really expect to escape me, Jay? Silly boy. You shall have to be chastised for your impudence."

* * *

Jay and the Creator continued to fly through the Shadow Realm upon the Creator's majestic throne.

"I doth sense great and terrible dark energies ahead," said the Creator. "I fear we may be on the verge of accosting a dread and dark evil of unimaginable power."

"Oh, great. Just what we needed..." Jay sighed. "Any chance it's the other students?"

"If they are there, and alive, I sense them not. The power of our approaching enemy blocks out all else."

"I'm gonna guess that we can't avoid facing whatever it is, right?"

"Aye. Verily."

Jay groaned. "We are SO dead..."

* * *

The attack came without warning, and began with a bang.

'Create chaos and confusion,' Yugi had said, 'As they did with their random attacks.'

The bang, of course, was courtesy of Nat's Barrel Dragon. The sound the monster made was almost deafening in close quarters. It was quickly followed by several other holographic explosions all directed towards the entrances and exits of the Evil Duelists' section of the school.

The reaction was immediate.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

"IT'S THE ARMY!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"...Dude, you gonna eat that?"

As the explosions went off, the Evil Duelists went in all directions, scattering to either confront the new attackers or to hide from them.

"They're making their move..." said McMike, smirking. "FINALLY."

"Yeah..." Poison mentally cursed. "Looks like it's go time."

"Yes. So it is."

* * *

"Here they come..." Ami braced herself as she saw the first of the Evil Duelists come her way. She extended her duel disk to play mode.

'Just remember,' Yugi had said. 'The goal isn't to necessarily defeat them. The goal is to create as much confusion as possible.'

She turned her disk to practice mode. "GIGA GIGAGIGO! LEVIA DRAGON - DAEDALUS! MOTHER GRIZZLY! GO GET THEM!" The three monsters materialized instantly, filling the hallway.

"...THERE'S A BEAR IN THE SCHOOL!" screamed one Evil Duelist.

"STEPHEN COLBERT SPOKE THE TRUTH!"

Ami breathed a sigh of relief. So far. So good.

* * *

In his room, Jimbo carefully donned the mythical duel disk his father had taught him all about... The duel disk of the Oricalcos Duelists. It automatically extended to play mode, becoming a razor-sharp and very intimidating blade.

His eyes glowed red. "And now to bring death to all who oppose me..."

* * *

"GEARFRIED THE SWORDMASTER! ATTACK WITH IRON SWORD SLASH!" Rex watched as his best monster lashed out, slicing at an Evil Duelist with no mercy. Granted, it was a hologram, but the moron still fell backwards and struck his head on the wall, knocking himself out.

"I hope this works..."

* * *

"Looks like it's time for fun again," said Bubble.

"Yes, Sister," said Toil. "At least for us."

"Then by all means," said Trouble. "Let the carnage begin!"

* * *

"Remember, everyone," said Mouse as she and many of the Good Duelists stood outside the main entrance to the Evil dorm, 'Stick to the plan, and watch out for one another."

She heard a virtual stampede of humanity headed their way.

"They will fall," said Ikke, confident.

"Maybe," said LazyMan. "But they're just the cannon fodder. The real fight hasn't even begun yet."

* * *

In all the chaos, no one noticed a single Evil Duelist headed into the dorm from a rarely used side entrance. Wearing a green blazer, he smirked.

It was all going perfectly.

At least, so far.

'While the rest of you create distractions and chaos,' said CyberV only a short time ago, 'I'll disguise myself as an Evil Duelist and sneak inside. The longer you guys can keep them from organizing, the longer I'll have to poke around and find out where the Scepter is hidden.'

CyberV had grimaced at the look of the green blazer, but the white blazers weren't conducive to stealth and the Evil Duelists already had seen him in purple. But there was nothing that could be done about it. And now, he had a job to do.

With duelists running every which way, he had no problem moving about. It didn't take long for him to reach Ramesus' office. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.

"No problem..." he muttered.

"How is that not a problem?" asked Rocket Warrior.

"Simple. I can pick the lock. But first, go inside and tell me if it's occupied."

"You've got it." Rocket Warrior phased through the wall, and after a few seconds he phased back through.

"Well?"

"Ramesus is in there, but he seems to be asleep. No sign of Ryu Kokki."

"That's good," said CV as he got to work on the lock. "I just hope he doesn't wake up for a while..."

* * *

"Stand ready!" shouted the Creator.

"With what?" asked Jay. Without his disk and deck, he was almost completely helpless.

"Fear not, for I shall strive to protect you with my life!"

"A pitiful shield indeed," said a booming but familiar voice. Jay and the Creator watched as, slowly, a gigantic form rose up to tower over them.

"RAMESUS!" Jay almost turned the name into a curse.

"In the psychic flesh, so to speak," said the giant mental incarnation of the leader of Evil. Floating by his ear, Ryu Kokki smirked. Surely, this wouldn't last very long, but it would at least be... diverting.

"Did you really think I'd let you roam about free, even in the Shadow Realm?"

"...Yeah, pretty much..." Jay shrugged.

Ramesus scowled. "Think again." He snapped his fingers, and the ground under Jay and the Creator began to crack and crumble as a massive earthquake began. "By the time I'm done, you'll be nothing but a soulless smear."

"I shant allow thy prophecy to come to pass!" shouted the Creator.

"Yeah, challenge the giant psychotic embodiment of evil. Real smart." Jay sweatdropped. "Man, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I REALLY wish I had CV's Vehicles right now..."

"My," said Ramesus. "You MUST be desperate. Excellent. Your desperation will make this... mildly interesting." Without warning, Ramesus lashed out, sending blasts of energy towards Jay.

"NOT GOOD..." Jay braced himself, but before the blasts could hit, the Creator's chair flew in and scooped him up, quickly delivering him from harm's way. "Hey! I'm not dead! I can live with not dead!"

"How droll..." lamented Ramesus before lashing out with a massive hand, swatting the chair and knocking Jay out of it.

"SO MUCH FOR NOT-" Jay fell, but the chair righted itself and zipped back underneath him, catching him like a baseball in a catcher's mitt. "-Dying... Never mind."

"BASE VILLAIN!" shouted the Creator. "HAVE AT THEE!" The Creator raised his hands and released a massive stream of golden energy. The beam hit Ramesus square between the eyes, staggering him.

"YES!" exclaimed Jay. "BLAST HIM AGAIN!"

"NAY!" responded the duel spirit. "He hath grown in power beyond my means to battle! We must retreat while we art still able!" The chair flew to him and he joined Jay in the seat. It raced off as Ramesus worked to clear his vision.

"Very well then," said Ramesus, blinking the spots out of his eyes. "A hunting I shall go."

* * *

"GOT IT!" exclaimed CV in a hushed voice as the door to Ramesus' office opened. He hurriedly tucked away his pickpocket tools and, warily, stepped inside.

His first thought was how impressive it was. Ramesus may have been a psychotic madman bent on global domination, but one thing was certain: the man had taste. The entire room wouldn't have been out of place in a royal palace. The furniture was solid oak, polished to a shine. The seats were adorned with bright red leather. Even the drapes looked like they were some kind of exotic silk.

"Okay," said Rocket Warrior. "Less sightseeing, more snooping."

"Right," said CV. A quick glance around the room told him there were three locations where he might find information on the Scepter... The desk drawers, a file cabinet, and a computer atop the desk. Noting a DSL line attached to the computer, he discounted it. It didn't matter how many firewalls were installed, the chances were too great that someone would hack into the system. Ramesus wouldn't trust it to hide his secrets.

CyberV considered the remaining two options. The file cabinets were big, yes, but they had no visible locks. Any member of Evil could access them if they got past the doors.

The desk, meanwhile, had a lock on every drawer.

"The desk it is," said CV as he pulled out the lockpick again. He knelt down, glanced at the sleeping Ramesus, and got back to work.

* * *

Sitting in LazyMan's office, Ishizu contemplated the package in her hands.

"Time draws short. Even without the Millennium Necklace, I can feel it. Ramesus' dark energies continue to grow with each soul banished to the Shadow Realm. If he is not stopped soon, I fear even the Scepter of the Balance will not be enough to put an end to this madness."

She set the box down on LazyMan's desk and looked towards the rising moon.

"Hurry, Warrior. Time is running out!"

* * *

"KEEP MOVING!" yelled Jay as he and the Creator barely dodged a blast of dark energy, hurled at them by the gigantic Ramesus. "Maybe if we tire him out, we'll have a chance!"

"Aye," said the Creator. "But I fear that yon strategy shall tire us out as well, and thou doest not have thine deck to call upon!"

"...We are SO gonna die..." Another blast erupted directly to Jay's left.

Watching them run, Ramesus chuckled. "Scurry like rats all you like. It won't change anything. You're all mine now..."

* * *

CyberV smirked as the last drawer opened. So far, all he'd found were a few counterfeit cards (Ramesus apparently frowned upon them), paperwork (the ultimate downside to being a leader... administrative duties), and a bag of chips.

"Why are you smirking?" asked Rocket Warrior. "If it isn't here, than we've gotta slog through all those files over there."

"Because the answer's inside. I can FEEL it."

CyberV opened the drawer. At first, nothing seemed out of order. More papers, pens, paperclips... But a specially folded piece of paper caught his eye.

Taking it, he unfolded it partially.

"It's a hit list." His eyes narrowed with fury. "He's written down the names of everyone he intends to make suffer for all eternity."

"I notice you're tops of the list."

"Joy and rapture." CyberV moved to tuck the paper into a pocket when the paper opened completely, and a small envelope fell out.

"Huh? What's this?" He picked it up. "There's something inside." He looked inside. "No way..." He felt his heartbeat increase. "This... This is the answer we've been looking for! This mystery is solved!"

"Glad to hear it," said a voice from the doorway. CyberV turned to see McMike and Kuno standing there. McMike was the speaker.

"We thought this sudden attack was strange, so we thought to ourselves that it would be a good idea to check out the boss' office. And looky what we find..."

"Very smart," said CV, tucking the small envelope away. "Obviously, you've got more brains than some duelists."

"Well, yeah," said Kuno. "Who do we look like? Jimbo?"

"No," said CV as he stood up. "But you DO look... SURPRISED!" Without warning, CyberV ripped off the green blazer to reveal his Kudo costume. The blazer was flung at the two ninja, who instinctively took a step backwards, expecting something dangerous to be flung at them. Instead, the blazer hit the floor, and there was a small eruption of noxious fumes. Taking advantage of this, CyberV sprang forward and past the both of them.

'If I get caught,' said CV a short while back, 'I'll use the leftover stink bombs Big Andy left behind.'

'Did you HAVE to remind us of his King Muscle impression?' asked Hikari.

"That lousy little..." Kuno bolted after him, while McMike turned to the sleeping Ramesus.

"Sorry Boss, but there's no more time for beauty sleep..."

* * *

Another blast of dark energy erupted right in front of the Creator. The resulting shockwave staggered the duel spirit, forcing him to land his chair.

"Oh man oh man... Don't stop now!" yelled Jay. "He's right on top of us!"

Ramesus grinned. "Game over, little man." He knelt down to grab Jay and the Creator.

"BOSS! WAKE UP!" Ramesus scowled at the voice.

"Not now..." he growled.

Obviously hearing Ramesus, the voice grew more insistent. "It's an emergency! We're under attack!"

"We have no choice..." muttered Ryu Kokki.

"Very well then," said Ramesus, standing up just as he'd been about to grab Jay. "You've earned a reprieve," he said. "I'll be back to finish this later." Slowly, he faded away.

"...I think I need new pants," said Jay, relieved.

"We should make the most of this unexpected happenstance," said Creator, grabbing Jay tightly. "COME!"

The chair flew faster than ever, towards the direction Ramesus had come from. In only a few minutes, they reached their destination, and stared with astonishment.

Far below, at the bottom of a massive cliff, was a gigantic glowing dome.

"What IS that?" asked Jay.

"I know not," said Creator. "But we should find out."

* * *

"This had better be good," said Ramesus as his eyes shot open. He looked at his desk to see that it had been ransacked. "WHAT?!"

McMike stepped back. "It's the Warrior. He's back."

* * *

CyberV ducked as kunai flew past his head. He glanced back to see Kuno gaining on him.

"Okay, THIS part of detective work, I could live without!" He turned the corner, heading for the main dueling arena.

* * *

"Looks like everything's going according to plan," said a relieved Drift. "Thank goodness."

"Goodness has NOTHING to do with it."

Drift turned towards the voice, ready for a fight. Jimbo stepped out of the shadows, chuckling.

"Oh, look. A victim." His eyes glowed red as his duel disk extended.

A minute later, Drift screamed.

* * *

CyberV stopped running as he reached the arena. In fact, there really wasn't anywhere to run TO. In his haste, he'd momentarily forgotten that he'd gone to the upper levels of the Evil Duelists' HQ... and now he stood in the nosebleed section... the exit a good two stories below.

"Okay, that's not good."

"End of the line," said Kuno as she stepped into the entranceway. "Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."

"Maybe," said CV as he turned to face her. "Maybe not."

"Let's go with NOT!" She pulled out more kunai and threw them. Standing at the edge of the stairs, CyberV stepped backwards... and fell.

"YES! I've got you now!" Kuno ran to the stairs to see how many bones CyberV had broken... and gasped in astonishment as he rose up in mid air, standing atop the head of a massive crystalline dragon.

"Who's got who?" he asked. "I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine. Hyozanryu, this is Kuno. Kuno... meet my newest duel spirit."

"New... New spirit?!"

"That's right. And I have YOU to thank for it." Hyozanryu roared for effect.

"No... No, it can't be!"

"Oh, but it can. You see, every time I had a surge of shadow power in the past, it resulted in a new duel spirit. Flame Sprite, Ryu Kokki, the Creator and the rest... EVERY TIME, a new one emerged... EXCEPT when I fought you a few hours ago. At the time, I thought it was a bit odd that no new one made itself known... I'd chalked it up to one of your cronies getting it... UNTIL I heard about the situation at Duel Academy... the same incident that blanked every card and sent the duel spirits away. As far as I can tell, the events set into motion that led to that hour of silence was enough to delay the emergence of the new spirit. By the time it ended, I was already hard at work with my cards... He emerged within minutes of that other crisis ending. But to be on the safe side, I held him in reserve."

"But... But he's solid..."

"Thank THIS." CV held up his right wrist so Kuno could see the Millennium Wdjat, which was glowing with shadow energy. "The source of those flareups. Now that I'm in direct contact with it, and aware of it's existence, I have better control over my transformations. And with my new friend here, I'm stronger than ever."

He smirked. "So thanks. It's nice to have my old friend back."

"NO!" She threw all her kunai at CyberV, but Hyozanryu shifted his body slightly, and the blades bounced off his diamond hide.

"And now that I have what I needed here, it's time to put the dueling detective aside-" He ripped away his Jimmy Kudo costume, revealing his school uniform. "-And time for the Warrior of the Balance to come on out!"

"...You must be sweaty, wearing three layers and all..." Rocket Warrior chuckled.

"Do I go ruining YOUR dramatic moments?" CV sweatdropped. "Well, no matter... It's time we got out of here..." He braced himself. "MILLENNIUM POWER!" The Wdjat flashed, and he changed. His hair stood up instantly, and he took on a more serious demeanor. His forehead began to glow with a wdjat symbol.

"HYOZANRYU! DIAMOND DRAGON FIRE!" Hyozanryu roared and spat shards of diamond towards Kuno. She ducked, but needn't have bothered. As the shards reached her, they were repelled by a blood red shield of pure dark magic.

"Enough," said Ramesus as he and McMike arrived. "You've stolen something from me. Return it now... and I'll consider releasing your friend Jay from the Shadow Realm."

"And abandon everyone else you've doomed? No thanks." CyberV glared at Ramesus. "Besides, this is just starting to get interesting." CyberV mock saluted Ramesus as Hyozanryu flew to the ground and faded away.

"STOP HIM! STOP HIM AT ALL COST! HE KNOWS WHERE THE SCEPTER IS!" Ramesus practically turned purple with rage.

Ignoring Ramesus' blistering Rage, CyberV bolted through the exit of the arena.

"Very well, Warrior," he said in a quiet but livid voice. "Let's see you save your friends as I take them away from you one by one..."

Ramesus let his power flow freely into a card in his hand. Slowly, a small Winged Minion appeared. And then another, and another, until the arena was filled with them.

'Go," he said. "Destroy ALL my enemies."

The Winged Minions screeched.

* * *

"He's late," said Joey as he checked his watch.

"He'll be here," said Hikari. "Count on it."

"We don't have much choice," said Yugi. They were standing by the entrance to the school's parking garage. So far, they hadn't been able to budge the door an inch.

'While all that's going on,' CyberV had said, 'no one will notice a handful of us missing. Since the Scepter is off campus, we'll need to get out of here.'

'One problem,' Rex had said. 'The magic seal trapping everyone in the school.'

'There's a way around that,' responded Yugi. 'Once, years ago, I used the power of my Millennium Puzzle to penetrate a powerful seal much like the one holding us all here. My Puzzle may be gone, but now we have the Millennium Wdjat. I have full confidence that it can break the seal, at least enough to allow the chosen group to escape and go after the Scepter.'

"Well unless he pulls through, we're wasting our time," Joey punched the wall. "I hate waiting like this!"

"Someone's coming, and in a hurry," said Yugi suddenly. They turned to see CyberV running towards them.

"Did you get it?" asked Hikari.

"Yes, but we don't have time to talk." CyberV placed his hand on the door.

"Do it just as I told you," said Yugi. "Focus."

CV nodded. "By the power of the Millennium Wdjat... I BREAK THE SEAL!" The door glowed for a second, and the Wdjat's energies died down. CV's hair fell back into place as the door swung open.

"That... took a lot outta me..." CV dropped to his knees, exhausted. Between making Hyozanryu solid and penetrating the barrier, combined with his lack of experience, he was momentarily drained of shadow power.

"I gotcha, kid," said Joey as he helped CV up. "Let's get outta here while we still can!"

"Good thing Mouse lent us the keys to her car."

"...She DOES know we're taking it, right?" asked Joey.

"...Yes?"

Joey sweatdropped. "We'd better not come back empty-handed, 'cause otherwise, that girl's gonna kill us."

As they headed for Mouse's car, another set of eyes watched them from the darkness.

"Yes, by all means, lead me right to the Scepter." Greekman grinned. "And when you do, I'll claim it for my own, and get everything that's coming to me."

In moments, the convertible raced onto the streets of Solitaire Valley.

"So, where to?" asked Joey as he turned the steering wheel sharply to the right.

"Here's your answer," said CV, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small envelope. He opened it and pulled out a key. "It was in Ramesus' desk. It belongs to a local storage facility a few miles from here called Load and Lock It."

"And you think the Scepter's in one of their private boxes?" asked Hikari.

"That's right," said CV.

"So let's get moving," said Yugi. He looked to the skies and saw the Winged Minions beginning to fly out of the Academy. "Because I fear we're almost out of time."

CV nodded. "Scepter... HERE WE COME!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Against All Odds! The Scepter Found!


	39. Against All Odds! The Scepter Found!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The Good Duelists initiated a bold plan to find the Scepter of the Balance. As they created a massive distraction, CyberV infiltrated Ramesus' office and discovered the hiding place of the missing Item. Racing off into the city, CyberV, Yugi, Joey, and Hikari knew that time was running out. During the conflict, CyberV revealed a third duel spirit, Hyozanryu. Furious, Ramesus released a horde of Winged Minions to annihilate the Good Duelists. During the melee, Jimbo found and eliminated Drift. Meanwhile, in the Shadow Realm, Jay and the Creator came across a strange glowing dome...

* * *

"At long last, it has begun."

Ramesus closed his eyes as his new servants, a massive horde of Winged Minion, began to flood the halls.

"In just a matter of hours, this school will be mine."

He allowed his mind to travel with the Minion as they began swooping down on his unsuspecting enemies.

"The city will follow shortly after that."

He watched as Mech and Forest, the duelists foolish enough to join his enemies on this day instead of running away, found themselves surrounded.

"And then..."

The Minion swarmed over the two outmatched Duelists. They screamed as they were buried under clammy blue flesh... And then the screaming stopped. The Minion parted to reveal their decks and disks... And nothing more.

"And then," said Ramesus, opening his eyes, "Nothing will stand in my way..."

His laughter built and erupted, quickly becoming the only thing that could be heard over the chittering of his demonic swarm...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 39: Against All Odds! The Scepter Found!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

It was if a switch had been flipped, turning what was, just a moment before, a potential victory, and turning it into a Faustian nightmare.

One moment, the Evil Duelists had been scattered, the Good Duelists on the verge of turning the tide in the war.

Then, the first of the Winged Minion had arrived.

"They're kidding, right?" asked Mouse.

She moved to attack and destroy it, when a second appeared.

"I can handle that."

And a third, a fourth, and soon, the shadows of the hallway before them were filled with glowing eyes.

"But not that!" yelled LazyMan as the Minion erupted forward. Like demented flying monkeys from OZ.

"They're everywhere!" exclaimed Ikke. Then they heard a scream and turned, just in time to see Mech and Forest get swarmed.

"FALL BACK!" yelled LazyMan. "DON'T LET THEM GET CLOSE!" He shoved a card into his disk, and Exxod appeared, creating a barrier between them and the Minion.

"We have to keep fighting!" said Mouse.

"We need a new plan!" said LazyMan, decisively. "Exxod can buy us time, but not much else. We need to retreat for now and figure out a way to combat them."

"But-"

"MOVE!" he yelled.

Startled by the forcefulness of the order, Mouse was visibly shaken. Looking at Exxod, which was already starting to crack, she bit back a curse and realized he was right.

"We'll get them back," said Ikke, moving to join LazyMan.

With reservations, Mouse followed.

* * *

"Hold them back!" yelled Nat to Cyber Barrier Dragon. The monster had erected a force field the second the Minion had exploded out of the corridors.

"This is crazy..." Magyk couldn't believe it. "What's going on?"

"My guess," said Tristan. "The end of the world. Again."

"BARREL DRAGON! STOP THESE CREATURES!" The monster nodded and let loose with a massive blast of energy that vaporized about twenty of the Minion. It was barely a dent.

"Oh geez..." muttered Magyk. "We need a different strategy." He reached into his deck and pulled out a spell card. "DARK HOLE!" A black hole opened above them near the ceiling, and immediately, dozens of minion began being sucked into it. Cyber Barrier Dragon and Barrel Dragon began to be pulled towards it, but Nat removed their cards from her disk and returned them to her deck. The two monsters vanished immediately.

"How long is that gonna last?" asked Tristan, as it closed.

"Not long enough," admitted Magyk. Already, they could hear the chittering of the demonic monsters coming again. "RUN!"

* * *

Ami watched in horror as her monsters grappled with the Winged Minion. For each one they annihilated, it seemed that two more appeared.

"COME ON!" She felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned and saw Rex. "We've gotta get moving now!"

"But what about-"

"If your boyfriend's still in there, it's already too late for him."

The shock of those words brought tears to her eyes immediately. "Rex, how can you say that?!"

"Because it's the truth. I don't want anyone to get caught by those things, but you've gotta face facts that he might not have found what he was looking for. If that's the case, we move on and avenge him. If not, then we've done our job and it's time to focus on surviving until he can take Ramesus out! In any case, he's not here to protect you, and I am... And protecting you is exactly what I aim to do!"

"Rex... I... Okay!" She let herself be pulled along, just as Mother Grizzly was annihilated.

'Please... Please be okay...'

* * *

Poison watched in astonishment and horror as the Winged Minion brought down three Good Duelists he didn't recognize. Their screams fading away was worse than anything he'd ever heard in his life.

"My god... He actually did it."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked Ramesus, walking up behind him.

"Sick and depraved, but that's personal taste."

"Eh, I'll take it." Ramesus smirked.

'I've gotta ditch him and find Hikari! If she gets hurt because of these things... Or worse...'

"I don't have time to sightsee," said Poison. "Before he vanishes, I need to settle things with Magyk, once and for all."

"Oh, of course," said Ramesus. "But all in due time. For now, I need my most trusted lieutenant by my side."

'Blast it!' Poison clenched his fists in frustration. As long as he was under Ramesus' watchful eye, he couldn't make a move without blowing his cover.

"What about Jimbo or Greekman?"

"Jimbo's an idiot. And Greekman seems to be off campus at the moment."

"Where's he going?"

"If I know him," said Ramesus. "He's writing his own obituary."

* * *

"JOEY!" yelled Yugi as Mouse's convertible made a sharp right, almost tipping over in the process before righting itself with a painful jolt. "They're gaining on us!"

"I see 'em! I see 'em! HANG ON!" Joey made another sharp turn that would have likely tossed everyone out of the car if they weren't wearing their seatbelts.

Only a few scant minutes before, they'd escaped from the Arcane Academy... Yugi, Joey, Hikari, and an exhausted CyberV, on a mission to track down the Scepter of the Balance and put an end to this nightmare.

Almost instantly, the skies had been filled by Winged Minion.

"He's really gone overboard this time..." muttered Hikari, astonished.

"How's your friend?" asked Joey.

Hikari checked on CV. "I don't believe it. He's ASLEEP!" She cocked a fist. "This oughtta wake him up..."

"No," said Yugi. "He exhausted his strength to get us this far. Let him rest and recover. Joey, keep driving. Hikari, it's up to us to buy time."

Groaning, Hikari unclenched her fist. "You NEVER let me have any fun..." She and Yugi extended their Disks to play mode. "Well then... Ladies first!" Hikari pulled some cards from her deck. "PERFECT! We need backup... Here's some BIG backup! FORTRESS WHALE!" She held up the ritual monster card, and a massive sea creature appeared in midair.

"WIPE 'EM OUT WITH SEA FORTRESS CANNON BLAST!" Fortress Whale narrowed it's eyes and opened fire, filling the skies with explosions that shattered the small blue demons when they made contact.

"Good work," said Yugi. "And now it's my turn!" Kuriboh appeared.

Hikari sweatdropped. "Ummm... What?"

"I have my reasons... Such as the spell Multiply!" Yugi added the card to his duel disk's field, and Kuriboh began to multiply, quickly filling the sky with a Kuriboh to meet with each Winged Minion.

"That's a lotta fur..." muttered Hikari. "But he's still weaker than they are."

"Perhaps, but I'm not trying to destroy them. I'm distracting them. KURIBOH! ATTACK!" The Kuribohs flew forward and began to grapple with the Winged Minion... and then, they began to explode, creating a massive black smoke cloud.

"Sweet move, Yugi!" said Joey.

"I'm not done," said Yugi. "Hikari, here's what I want you to do..."

The Winged Minion flew out of the smoke cloud, using it as cover to avoid Fortress Whale. Ready for revenge, they flew towards the car as it passed between two skyscrapers... and found themselves suddenly stuck in place. Confused and trapped, they looked up and saw Insect Queen, weaving a dastardly web and shrieking at them.

Apparently, she was very hungry.

"YES!" Hikari pumped her fist in the air. "We're in the clear!"

"For now," said Yugi as Fortress Whale faded away. "But more will come. We're running out of time, Joey."

"I hear ya," he said as he stepped on the gas.

He just wished they knew how much time they really had.

* * *

Following from a distance on his Harley, Greekman was impressed by Yugi's display of cunning. To devise such a strategy, and under that much pressure... There was no denying why he was considered the king of games.

Of course, kings could be toppled from their thrones.

"It won't be long now..."

* * *

"This is crazy..." muttered Jay as he looked up at the massive glowing dome, a structure that was completely out of place in the Shadow Realm. "What is it?"

"Mayhaps we should enter yon structure and see," suggested the Creator as he raised his hand, which began to glow.

"Now hold on! We don't know what could-"

The wall exploded.

"-Happen." He sighed. "You and I are gonna have a LOOOOOOONG talk about strategy and impulse control when we get home, Bucko."

"No, I am the Creator. Not this Bucko."

Jay sweatdropped.

"Never mind... Come on..." They moved through the hole in the dome, and were immediately struck by a terrifying sight. All around them were the missing students and professors, all crucified on floating crosses. As far as Jay could tell, they weren't impaled or anything... They simply were... stuck.

Feeling a chill, he realized he recognized way too many of the fallen.

"Forest? Oh come ON! I JUST finished SAVING you!"

Forest didn't respond. He was unconscious. Most of the students and teachers were. But enough were awake to create a commotion.

"GET US DOWN!"

"HURRY!"

"I HAVE AN ITCH ON MY NOSE! Can you scratch it for me PLEASE?!"

"SO not going there..." muttered Jay. "We'll do what we can!" he shouted. "Creator!"

"I shall try!" The Creator raised his hands and let loose with a blast of golden energy, aiming for one of the floating crosses. The energy hit it's mark... but with no effect.

"Okay, that's not a good sign." Jay didn't like this one bit.

"JAY!" Jay turned at the sound of the familiar voice. He was horrified to see that Drift was among the captured. "Man, I thought the shadow monsters ate you when I didn't see you here..."

"We gave them indigestion," said Jay. "What is this place?"

"No idea," admitted Drift. "All I remember is that one minute, I was dueling Jimbo... The rest... It's just a blur."

"Jimbo? Are you sure? Last I remember, he got beat by a water bottle."

"Woulda ya try to FOCUS FOR A MINUTE?!"

Jay blinked. "Sorry. Just a little freaked."

"Tell me about it. I can't WAIT for people to need a bathroom."

"Dude. Mental images." Jay shuddered.

"We're strung up like sides of beef and you're worried about mental images?"

"No. I'm jabbering because it's either this or be reduced to a Panicking and quivering mass."

"...By all means, jabber away."

"Thanks." Jay turned to the Creator. "Keep trying to free the others."

"Aye." The Creator nodded and began trying to physically separate Forest from his cross, but with apparently no progress.

"So... This is bad, isn't it?" asked Jay.

"It gets worse. Take a look." Drift looked upwards. Jay followed his lead and gasped. The ceiling of the dome wasn't like the rest of the structure. Instead of being a uniform glow, it showed their friends, running from a horde of Winged Minion. The image changed again to show the streets of Solitaire Valley, where Yugi Mutou himself was racing against time.

"Ever since I got here, the images keep shifting. Some of the others are holding their own for now, but with each minute..." Another cross appeared, and a teenage girl materialized, still screaming. "Another of us arrives here, a prisoner. And all we can do is watch."

The image shifted from Yugi and the speeding car to the infirmary. Jay saw that Ashes was guarding it, but it was obvious she was distracted.

"Ashes..." Jay wanted to cry. His disappearance was obviously tearing her apart.

Heck, it wasn't exactly filling him with fits of giggles, either.

"I think Ramesus is showing us this to keep us from having hope. Because it's all we have left."

Jay had to agree. If he couldn't free anybody, there wasn't much he'd be able to do at all to stop Ramesus. He looked up at Ashes again.

"Hang on... Don't give up..."

* * *

Ashes heard screams off in the distance.

"Oh, I give up... I can't just stay here while the others are fighting!"

"Don't go!" pleaded Allis. "The others can win this, right?"

Ashes turned away from the door to face Allis. "You're scared, huh?"

Allis nodded.

"Me too. Well, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere, and I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Allis nodded, but mentally cringed. It was already far too late for that promise to hold any weight. If Ashes knew what she'd done...

"I'm sure that CV and the others have the Scepter by now... They have to." Ashes closed her eyes to silently recite a prayer... when she suddenly sustained a painful blow to the back of the head. Dazed, she fell to the ground.

"Well, that's enough of that," said Shadow, rubbing his fist. "Now all I've gotta do is toss you to the Winged Minion, and Ramesus'll reward me handsomely."

"ASHES!" exclaimed Allis.

"Oh, don't look so surprised," said Shadow. "After all, you're the investment that keeps on giving."

* * *

"'Investment'?" Jay pondered that. "What's he mean by that?"

"Oh, man... You don't know?" Drift looked sick.

"Know what?"

"Allis... She's working for Ramesus. The others told me... She and Shadow faked an attack on her to keep CyberV from your duel. She's a traitor." He spat the last few words out.

His eyes widening, Jay turned back to the horrific scene. "ASHES!"

* * *

"GET AWAY FROM US!" yelled Allis, praying that Ashes was out of it enough to not hear Shadow's words clearly. She needn't have worried. When Ashes hit the ground, she'd struck her head on the floor. She was completely out of it.

"Now now... Is that any way to talk to me after we shared such an... intimate moment earlier?"

Allis cringed. She wanted nothing more than to get as far away from the school as possible, but she didn't dare try... Not with StrongMan's life hanging in the balance.

"Much better." He chuckled. "Now we'll have plenty of time to talk, just as soon as I feed Ramesus' new pets." He knelt down to pick up Ashes... And found a foot in his face. Staggered, he fell back and looked up to see Nat, livid, ready to strike him again.

"You just made the last mistake of your sorry little life," said Nat. "It's a good thing I decided to check on things here. Looks like the nurse forgot to take out the trash."

"So, you've survived the Winged Minion. I'm impressed."

"That makes one of us," said Nat. "The others are holding the line for now, which means I've got plenty of time to rid this school of you."

"And if I eliminate BOTH of you," said Shadow, "Ramesus will make me his right hand man!"

"Try it." Nat extended her disk to play mode.

"Oh, I will." He grinned and did the same.

Nat: 8000

Shadow: 8000

"DUEL!"

Nat and Shadow both drew their cards.

"Ladies first!" she said as she drew a sixth. "Perfect!" She grinned. "I summon Cyber Kirin in defense mode!" A metallic dragon-dog appeared, growling.

Cyber Kirin: 300/800

"That's your big strategy?" Shadow snickered. "I've seen tougher rolls of aluminum foil!"

"It gets better," said Nat. "Now I play the spell Machine Duplication!" The spell card materialized. "This card lets me select one machine monster on my field with 500 or fewer attack points, and special summon two more from my deck!"

As she said it, a factory appeared, and behind her, the machines got to work, building two more Cyber Kirin, which then moved to her side.

Cyber Kirin 2 and 3: 300/800

"And next, I'll play Future Fusion!" Another spell rose up. "Now I send from my deck to the graveyard some fusion material monsters..." She pulled her deck from her disk and selected a few cards. "And in two turns, I can special summon the fusion they make!"

"You don't HAVE two turns!" boasted Shadow.

"We'll see. But for now, I'll end my turn."

"And what a pathetic turn it was," said Shadow as he drew his sixth card. "Okay, now here's a real move!" He looked at his hand and snickered.

"First, I summon Archfiend Soldier in attack mode!" A cloaked demon appeared, ready to fight.

Archfiend Soldier: 1900/1500

"Next, I'll equip him with a spell called Mage Power!" The card appeared behind Archfiend Soldier, and three spiritualists materialized behind him, chanting. "Now, for every spell and trap I place on the field, my Soldier gets an extra 500 attack and defense points! And I'm placing three facedown!" Three holocards appeared.

"And those, combined with Mage Power, give my creature a grand total of 3900 attack points!"

Archfiend Soldier (equipped) : 3900/3500

"Now attack her Cyber Kirin with Reaver Claw!" The demon faded and reappeared next to one of the Cyber Kirin. It lashed out with it's claws, and the machine shattered.

"I'll finish by playing my Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two new cards." He did so. "That ends my turn."

'He's good,' realized Nat. 'He's got me completely on the defensive. I need to hit him hard of I'm gonna stand any chance of saving Ashes and Allis!'

She drew. And she liked what she saw.

"I PLAY MONSTER REBORN!" The card rose up. "This card lets me revive any monster in our graveyards, and I've chosen one Future Fusion sent away! ARISE! CYBER-STEIN!" A Frankensteinesque monster appeared.

Cyber-Stein: 700/500

"What's he gonna do? Scare me?"

"Oh, he's gonna scare you all right, because now I'm activating his special ability! I just pay 5000 of my life points, and then I can special summon any fusion monster straight from my deck!"

Nat: 3000

Shadow: 8000

"ARISE, MY CYBER END DRAGON!" The ground under them erupted as a massive dragon rose up from under it. With three heads, massive wings, and a metallic skin, it was a force to be feared.

Cyber End Dragon: 4000/2800

"You're toast, Shadow. My Dragon has more than enough points to take out your Archfiend Soldier."

"Maybe... And maybe NOT!" He tapped a button on his disk. "REVEAL NIGHTMARE WHEEL!" One of his face downs rose up, and suddenly Cyber End Dragon vanished, only to reappear on Shadow's side of the field, strapped to a massive demonic wheel.

"MY DRAGON!"

"It's mine now. You see, Nightmare Wheel keeps you from attacking with your monster, and as a bonus, during each standby phase, you'll lose 500 life points!"

Nat bit back a curse. There was nothing she could do to save her Dragon at the moment.

'I'll place De-Fusion facedown on the field,' she thought as she did it. A holocard appeared. 'When he destroys one of my Kirin or Cyber-Stein, I'll activate it and separate Cyber End Dragon into my three Cyber Dragons. That'll give him pause for sure!'

She hesitated. 'Wait! He's still got two unknown facedown cards on the field! I need to be ready for the worst, especially with my life points lower like this!' She looked at her hand. "This'll do." She placed two more cards facedown. "Two more face downs and that ends my turn."

"I though so," said Shadow. "You're finished." He drew. "First, my Nightmare Wheel activates!" The wheel turned one rotation.

Nat: 2500

Shadow: 8000

"Then I'll play Graceful Charity! It lets me draw three cards as long as I discard two!" He drew three and threw two away. "Now I'll play my facedown card... CALL OF THE HAUNTED!" The trap card rose up. "Now I can revive a monster I just discarded!" A small green creature appeared.

"My Goblin King!"

Goblin King: 0/0

"Next, I'll watch you squirm as I play Snatch Steal!" The spell card appeared and glowed. "Now it lets me steal one of your Cyber Kirin." The monster vanished and reappeared on Shadow's side of the field.

"But he and my King aren't sticking around... I'll sacrifice them both!" Call of the Haunted and the two monsters shattered. "To summon the Mighty Invader of Darkness!" A sinister demon-man appeared.

Invader of Darkness: 2900/2500

"He's no problem," said Nat. "REVEAL DE-FUSION!" She tapped the button for her facedown, but nothing happened.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to tell you that while Invader's on the field, you CAN'T activate quickplay spell cards? My mistake..."

"Oh no..." Nat had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to go well. 'Without my Cyber Dragons, I'm vulnerable! To use his special ability, Cyber-Stein had to be summoned in attack mode!'

"Of course, my Archfiend loses 500 points since Call of the Haunted was destroyed." Shadow shrugged.

Archfiend Soldier (equipped) : 3400/3000

"Thankfully, I have Pot of Greed!" He held it up. "It lets me draw two cards!" The Pot appeared and shattered. "And lucky me, two spell cards!" He placed them on the field.

Archfiend Soldier (equipped) : 4400/4000

"Invader of Darkness, destroy her Cyber Kirin!" The Invader opened his cloak, and the darkness swarmed out, shattering the Kirin.

"And now, Archfiend Soldier, destroy her Cyber-Stein and finish her off!" The Soldier nodded and moved to rend Cyber-Stein limb from limb. "I WIN!"

"WRONG!" said Nat. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! COVERING FIRE!" She tapped her disk and her facedown rose up. "You see, this trap lets me give one monster on my field the attack of ANOTHER monster on my field!"

"That's worthless! You don't have any others!"

"Look again." Nat pointed towards Cyber End Dragon. "He may be trapped, but he's still technically my monster. CYBER END DRAGON! GIVE CYBER-STEIN YOUR STRENGTH!"

Cyber End Dragon, despite being trapped on the Wheel, complied, sending out it's powerful beam to supercharge Cyber-Stein.

Cyber-Stein: 4000/800

The Soldier's claws still rent the monster asunder, but it wouldn't be a fatal blow for Nat.

Nat: 2100

Shadow: 8000

"Whew..." Nat breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close.

"REVEAL TRAP CARD!" yelled Shadow. "You're not getting away THAT easily... Not while I have my Ring of Destruction!" A metal ring appeared around Cyber-End Dragon's neck. "Now he'll be destroyed, and we both take 4000 damage! I'll survive, but you'll be doomed forever! Goodbye, Nat. Tale solace in the knowledge that your friend Ashes won't be far behind!" Cyber End Dragon erupted. The Nightmare Wheel shattered as well.

But only one duelist's life points changed.

Nat: 2100

Shadow: 4000

Archfiend Soldier: 3400/3000

"W-What?!" As the smoke cleared, it was obvious to Shadow that Nat wasn't going anywhere just yet.

"Sorry," said Nat. "But it's not that easy! My trap card just saved me from your Ring of Destruction!" The view became clear, showing Nat's Call of the Haunted, and Cyber Kirin by her side.

"But... But how?!"

"It's simple. As you activated your trap, I activated mine, and returned Cyber Kirin to the field.

Cyber Kirin: 300/800

"And then, I activated his special ability. By tributing him, all effect damage I'd take this turn becomes zero!" Cyber Kirin faded away. Call of the Haunted shattered.

"Any other tricks you'd like to pull?"

"I end my turn."

"Then it's my move!" She drew. "MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" The winds howled. "Say goodbye to one of your facedown cards!" Shadow's Draining Shield rose up and shattered.

Archfiend Soldier: 2900/2500

'NO!' he thought. 'My only remaining facedown card is Dimension Fusion, which I can't use!'

"And now it's over," said Nat. "Thanks to my Future Fusion! You'll recall that I played it two turns ago! Well now the time has come! CHIMERATECH OVERDRAGON! TEACH HIM A LESSON!"

Allis, who had watched the entire duel in stunned silence, gasped as the most complicated monster she'd ever seen materialized, forming from the creatures in Nat's graveyard. It was the most insane dragon she'd ever seen.

Chimeratech Overdragon: 0/0

"And now his special ability activates! For every machine monster used for the fusion summon, he gains 800 attack and defense. And I sent 17 monsters to the grave. That gives him a grand total of 13600 attack points!"

Chimeratech Overdragon: 13600/13600

"You put up a good fight, but when it came right down to it, you backed the wrong horse, Shadow." She glared into his eyes. "BURN."

Chimeratech Overdragon let loose, firing a massive energy beam at Archfiend Soldier, who shattered instantly. Invader of Darkness followed. As the light grew brighter, Shadow vanished as well, banished to the Shadow Realm.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo..."

Nat: 2100

Shadow: 0

The shattered remains of the infirmary returned to normal as Chimeratech Overdragon faded away. Nat powered down her disk and ran to check on Ashes.

"Oooohhhh..." Ashes rubbed her head. "Did I miss anything?"

"Oh, nothing too important. Come on. We need you."

Ashes let Nat help her up. "Okay. Let's get to work."

Allis said nothing. Of course.

* * *

Jay breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."

"Man, that was close..." muttered Drift. "NOW GET ME DOWN!"

"OKAY! OKAY! I'm trying!"

And even as Jay tugged on the cross holding Drift, the ceiling changed to once more show Mouse's car...

* * *

"WE'RE HERE!" announced Joey as the car came screeching to a halt.

"AND SO ARE THEY!" added Hikari, seeing a fresh wave of Winged Minion.

Joey scowled. "Just great!" He grabbed the unconscious CV by the shirt and shook him. "WAKE UP ALREADY! THIS IS NO TIME FOR A NAP!"

CV slowly stirred. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick..."

"Not on me ya ain't..." Joey let go as CV shook the cobwebs from his mind.

"We're running out of time," said Hikari. "Dad and I can keep them busy!"

"All right," said Yugi. "But be careful. If you can't win, fall back. We can't afford to lose you."

"Oh crud, I'd hoped this whole thing was a bad dream..." muttered CV as he followed Yugi.

"Ready Dad?" asked Hikari as she summoned Flame Swordsman and Time Wizard.

"Born ready." He summoned Jinzo and Thousand Dragon.

And then the Minion came...

* * *

"We haven't a moment to waste!" said Yugi as he and CV ran through the storage depot, searching for the right garage.

"I KNOW! I KNOW!" CV looked at the key again. "It should be right up ahead!"

They ran faster, but stopped as they heard flapping wings. They turned to see that more Winged Minion were right behind them.

"GO!" order Yugi as he extended his disk to play mode. "Find the Scepter!"

"But-"

"GO NOW!" He spread five of his best monsters onto the disk. Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Summoned Skull, Buster Blader, and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior materialized and spread out to engage the enemy.

Energized by the urgency of the order, CV ran as fast as he could. The depot was large, but not infinite. He heard explosions in the distance and hoped the others were okay.

"Now where are you?!" he shouted to the heavens... before the Millennium Wdjat pulsed. He immediately stopped in his tracks. He turned to the left. Nothing. He turned to th right... and the Wdjat glowed right.

Hesitantly, he walked towards the storage garage and inserted the key.

'If I'm wrong, we're all finished... The whole world will fall.'

He pulled up on the garage door. It slid easily...

And there, in the darkest corner... laid the Scepter, emitting a miasma of dark energy.

CV walked towards the missing Item with great purpose. The miasma was so thick he could barely stand it. It was hard to breathe, much less see.

He reached for the Scepter, but felt an electrical shock.

"OW!" He shook his hand. "Okay, that's new..." He heard another explosion. "Okay, bucko... It's just you and me..." He took a deep breath despite the miasma... and thrust his arm out, grabbing the Scepter suddenly.

He felt like he was being electrocuted.

He screamed in agony. The Scepter began emitting black light, and the Millennium Wdjat on his wrist responded in kind with white light.

Together, the twin lights spread, enveloping the sky itself...

And all that could be heard was CyberV's agonized screams...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: The Warrior Revealed! Greekman's Defiant End!


	40. The Warrior Revealed!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ramesus unleashed a horde of Winged Minion upon the Academy, capable of swarming students and sending them to the Shadow Realm. CyberV, Yugi, Joey, and Hikari left the Academy to track down the Scepter of the Balance, barely evading the Winged Minion. Unknown to them, they were being followed by Greekman, who intended to steal the Scepter for his own ends. In the Shadow Realm, Jay discovered the missing students in a glowing dome, but could not figure out how to free them. CV's group reached the location of the Scepter, and while the others kept the Minion busy, CV tracked it down... but as he grabbed it, he suddenly felt intense agony and the sky filled with black and white light...

* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" The pain was blinding, searing, and overwhelming as CyberV held onto the Scepter of the Balance, not for the sake of his own life, but for the sake of everyone else.

'If I let go... It's all over! Ramesus will win and destroy everything!'

He grit his teeth as the pain increased.

'Just fight through the pain... FIGHT!'

His eyes closed, he could still see the black and white light coming from the Scepter and the Wdjat.

'Can't... take much more!' Feeling like his body was on fire, he suddenly had the inkling of an idea... and with the last of his strength, he slammed the two items together.

Suddenly, the pain was gone... and so was gravity. He opened his eyes to see the Scepter and the Wdjat floating at either side. All around him, the stars shone like pinpricks of light.

"Where... Where am I?"

"Warrior." CyberV turned and saw the Pharaoh, the same one he'd seen the first time he'd touched the Scepter. The one that looked so much like Yugi. "You have passed your trial. By enduring the hardship of darkness and bringing it and the light together, you have proven yourself worthy to possess the full power that is the birthright of the Warrior of the Balance."

"What about the damaged caused by Ramesus? All the pain he's created with the dark powers of the Scepter?"

"It shall be up to you to restore the balance. Now go. There is much to do, and little time to accomplish it."

"WAIT!" said CV, but the vision was already fading. His eyes snapped open, and he realized he was back in the storage depot. Lying on the ground, he pulled himself up and saw that he was still holding the Scepter.

"You okay?" asked Rocket Warrior. "I mean, you screamed pretty loud."

"I'm fine. And the others?"

"Losing ground. If you're gonna do something, now's the time!" CV glanced at his other spirits, Red-Eyes and Hyozanryu.

"You guys ready for a fight?" They growled an affirmative.

CV took a deep breath. "Let's go."

* * *

He ran back the way he'd came as fast as he could. He was astonished to see that Yugi was still doing all right, but he was running out of options. Valkyrion was being ripped apart by the creatures, and Buster Blader was already buried under them. Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician were giving it their all, but they were hard-pressed to protect Yugi and themselves at the same time. There was no trace of Summoned Skull.

"YUGI!" yelled CV. "I'VE GOT IT!"

"THEN USE IT! QUICKLY! There's no telling if Joey and Hikari are even still out there!"

CV nodded. "Here goes everything..." He moved the Wdjat up near his mouth. "MILLENNIUM POWER!"

And as he said it, the items began to glow with a blinding golden light.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 40: The Warrior Revealed! Greekman's Defiant End!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Immediately, CyberV felt an immense surge of power, far stronger than those of the past. Instinctively, he threw the Scepter and Wdjat into the air above him and ripped off his jacket, putting it back on like a cape; the sleeves, with just a flick of his wrist, had tied themselves together. The Scepter came down, and he caught it deftly as his hair rose up. A white streak appeared in the front of his hair. The Millennium Wdjat came down, and CyberV struck it with the Scepter. The Wdjat sunk into the orb at the end of the Scepter, and another wdjat appeared on CyberV's forehead.

"THE WARRIOR REVEALED!"

Fully transformed, CyberV narrowed his eyes and thrust the Scepter forward. "SHADOW CREATURES... BEGONE!" It pulsed, and the Winged Minion were knocked away from Yugi.

"Impressive..." muttered Yugi.

"I'm just getting started." He spun the staff in a semicircle, until the razor-sharp point was aimed at the Winged Minion. Then he charged them with almost inhuman speed, slashing through each one effortlessly. They vaporized, and he smirked with satisfaction.

"Come on!" he said. "Every second we waste, Ramesus grows stronger!"

Without waiting for Yugi, CV ran towards the entrance.

"He's just like Atem..." Yugi chuckled. "Almost like old times."

As CyberV reached the entrance, he could see the battle was still raging. Joey and Hikari weren't giving an inch. Once more, her Fortress Whale was attacking, literally swallowing the Minions whole. Jinzo, meanwhile, was blasting away with eye beams left and right.

"Go." was all CV said. A second later, diamond shards began raining down, shattering Minion everywhere. Joey and Hikari looked up to see Hyozanryu peppering the demons with it's attack. Not far away, Red-Eyes was turning more demons into ash with repeated blasts of flame.

"Woah..." Hikari turned towards CV. "Ummm... Your disk isn't turned on."

"I know," said CV.

"...Oh."

"Rocket Warrior? It's time for an upgrade." CV extended his disk to play mode and inserted a spell card with Rocket Warrior's invincible mode pictured on it. "Rocket Launch! EVOLVE TO LEVEL 10!"

Rocket Warrior materialized and began growing, not just taller, but wider as well, becoming far more massive and gaining multiple weapons systems.

"Woah. I'm a Gundam!"

The newly christened Rocket Warrior LV10 quickly got over his surprise and took aim.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Countless missiles sprang forth, each striking a Winged Minion and filling the air with black smoke. The only immediately noticeable change was that the chittering had stopped. The Minion were all dead.

"I think ya got 'em." said Joey, breathing a sigh of relief. Rocket Warrior returned to normal.

"I RULE! Oh yeah! It's my birthday! I got them!"

"For the moment," said CV. "But knowing Ramesus, that's only the beginning. For all we know, these things could have already taken out the entire Academy."

"Not a chance... We won't LET it happen," said Hikari.

"Of course we won't," said Yugi. "And now-"

"And now..." said a familiar voice, "you turn over the Scepter."

They turned to see Greekman astride a motorcycle, blocking the exit.

"We don't have time for you," said CV.

"I think you will. You see, I want Ramesus stopped, too."

"Yeah, right..." Joey wasn't buying it for a second.

"Oh, but it's true. He took away my leadership role, my dignity... I'm not going to let him destroy the world... Not when I can do it myself." He grinned maniacally.

"Just what the world needs... Another megalomaniac. Emphasis on the maniac." Hikari sighed. She turned towards CV, surprised. Usually he would have made some stupid joke by now. Instead, he was all business... and where did that white streak come from, anyway?

CyberV twirled the Scepter in his hand, then, using the tied sleeves like a holster, he strapped it to his back.

"I won't let you have it," said CyberV. "If you want it, you'll have to duel me for it... In a Shadow Game."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. When I crush you, I'll be the new Warrior, and I'll have enough power to annihilate Ramesus and take over where he leaves off."

"First, the ground rules," said CV. "First, this duel is separate from whatever sick game Ramesus is playing. Instead, the loser plays a penalty game of the winner's devising."

"And the second rule?"

"Hold back NOTHING."

Greekman chuckled. "I never do..."

* * *

Watching as the duel was prepared, Jay felt utterly helpless.

"Is that... He's so different from before."

"Okay," said Drift. "If we ever get out of here, I have GOT to try that wrist flick sleeve tying trick."

"You have focusing issues, don't you?"

"Little bit."

Jay sweatdropped.

"Think he can win?" asked Drift. "I've heard Greekman's as tough as they come."

"He'll win."

"How can you be sure?"

"Simple. He HAS to."

* * *

"KEEP MOVING!" shouted Mokuba. "We're doing everything we can!" The students were beginning to panic. Between the Winged Minion and the strange mystical seal keeping them trapped inside, they certainly had plenty of good reasons.

Mokuba still had no idea where the creatures had come from... He supposed it didn't matter, as long as his three Blue-Eyes kept them occupied.

It didn't help that this entire fiasco reminded him of the times he'd been in the Virtual World, facing the Big Five and Noah. He involuntarily shuddered; the last time he'd thought of Noah's name, it had been during an incredibly disturbing chat with Ramesus.

He heard a massive explosion, and saw that the Blue-Eyes White Dragons had finally eliminated the last of the Minions.

"Good work!" he said, relieved that the students would be safe, at least for the time being.

His relief lasted all of five seconds before the three mighty beasts suddenly found themselves surrounded by magical bands of energy that formed the dreaded Dragon Capture Jar, trapping them. Stunned, mokuba turned to see the Brew Sisters, giggling at the look on his face.

"Oh look, dear sisters," said Bubble.

"Poor Mokuba the Moderator's lost his favorite pets." Toil mock pouted.

"Well don't worry," said Trouble. "Where YOU'RE going, the Dragons are the LEAST of your concerns. GET HIM!"

She snapped her fingers, and before everything went black, Mokuba could see a fresh horde of Winged Minion descending upon him...

* * *

CyberV and Greekman glared at each other with mutual despisement.

"A final rule," said Greekman. "The winner gets the loser's deck. Not that the loser would have anymore use for their cards anyway."

"Agreed," said CV.

"Don't we get a say in this?" asked Rocket Warrior as the dragons growled.

"No more stalling," said Greekman. "Let's do it." He extended his disk to play mode.

"IT'S DUELIN' TIME!" yelled CV, his disk already extended.

CyberV: 8000

Greekman: 8000

"I'll start things off," said Greekman as he drew six cards. CV drew five. "And I'll open up with Card Destruction!" The card appeared on the field. "Now we each discard our hands and draw the same number of cards we just lost."

"He must not've liked his hand," muttered Joey.

"Weird," muttered Hikari. "Why would he do that? The duel just started."

"It's obvious," said Yugi. "He's either searching for something, or working to reach a certain condition in the duel."

CV looked at his hand. "Sorry, buddy," he muttered, seeing Red-Eyes. He sent his hand away and drew a new hand. Greekman did the same.

"Next," said Greekman, "I'll play Graceful Charity! Now I can draw three cards, as long as I discard two to the graveyard!" He did so.

"Trying to draw yourself dry?" asked CyberV.

"You'll see," said Greekman. "I'll next play a card you should be familiar with... PAINFUL CHOICE!" Five cards appeared above Greekman. Crawling Dragon, Cave Dragon, Burst Breath, Stamping Destruction, and Jar of Greed appeared. "Now you pick one of these cards. The one you pick goes to my hand, and the others go to my grave."

"I pick Jar of Greed," said CV.

"Very well," said Greekman. The four other cards shattered as he discarded them. "And now I'll place it facedown." The facedown Jar of Greed materialized.

"Any MORE drawing you feel like doing?" asked CyberV. "I have a city to save and I'm on a tight schedule."

"Not for now... Not since I've reached the necessary conditions!" He grinned. "I PLAY DRAGON'S MIRROR!" The card rose up and a mirror appeared. "Now by removing dragons in my graveyard from play, I can summon the fusion monster they form! And thanks to my skillful discarding and YOUR timely assistance with Painful Choice, I have all the dragons in my graveyard that I need to summon my most powerful creature! ARISE MY FIVE-HEADED DRAGON!" The Mirror shattered as a massive beast burst out of it. Gigantic, it dwarfed the duelists. The gigantic dragon roared, the sound of doom.

Five-Headed Dragon: 5000/5000

"And best of all I also have this," said Greekman as his field spell slot opened up. He placed a card into it. "The field spell called Effect Shield!" The Depot faded away, revealing an energy laden landscape and a bubble around Five-Headed Dragon.

"What's this?!" demanded CV.

"It's simple. Effect Shield cannot be removed from the field or destroyed... and it allows me to treat it as an equip spell for one of my monsters. As long as it's in play, my Five-Headed Dragon cannot be affected by Any spells, traps, or monster effects that would remove it or destroy it. In effect... he's invincible, and you're finished."

"Oh MAN... This is NOT good." Joey couldn't believe it. He'd seen this monster before, and it was never a good thing.

"An understatement," said Yugi. "This will be our young friend's greatest challenge yet. Remember, because of the Dragon's special ability, he can only be destroyed by a light monster."

"And with THAT on the field," said Hikari, "he'll never have enough monsters on the field to get his high level monsters out."

"The duel's just begun," said CyberV. "Don't count me out yet."

"Oh, I'm smart enough to know that," said Greekman. "But for now, I'll end my turn... and activate my Jar of Greed." His facedown rose up. "Now I draw one new card." He did so.

CyberV drew his sixth. "Now it's my turn!" He looked at his hand.

"I don't know what he can do except defend," muttered Hikari. "If he only had Mirage Knight like I do..."

"I'll start with two cards facedown," said CV. Two holocards appeared. "And I'll play another card called Heart of the Underdog!" The card rose up. "Now, every time I draw a normal monster, I can draw an extra card!"

"Normal monsters are just cannon fodder," said Greekman. "Tools for the weak and inept."

"Says the guy with Crawling Dragon. In Any case, I'll summon my Injection Fairy Lily in defense mode and end my turn." The fairy appeared, crouching.

Injection Fairy Lily: 400/1500

"I'll crush her like a bug," said Greekman as he drew.

"But first," said CyberV, "I'll take a bite out of your life points. REVEAL TRAP CARD! BAD REACTION TO SIMOCHI!" The card appeared. "Now every time an effect that would increase your life points is activated, it takes them away instead!"

"I'm familiar with the card," said Greekman. "I'm not impressed."

"You will be after my second trap gets revealed! GO GIFT CARD!" The card rose up. "This trap would normally give you 3000 life points, but thanks to Simochi, it's a debit card instead." The card flew out of the holoimage and swiped itself on Greekman's disk like it was a credit card reader.

CyberV: 8000

Greekman: 5000

"SWEET!" yelled Joey. "Good move!"

"It's a start," said Yugi, "but as long as Five-Headed Dragon is on the field, he'll have a hard time striking at Greekman's life points."

"A trifle," said Greekman. "FIVE-HEADED DRAGON! CRUSH HIS LILY!" The Dragon roared and the flaming head let loose with a fireblast that reduced Lily to ash. "Pathetic," said Greekman. "I don't need anything else to crush you. I'll just destroy every monster you have, one by one, until you run out of defenders. Then, you're mine."

"I'll take it that means you end your turn then," said CV as he drew. "And I drew my Shining Abyss. That means I can draw another card." He did so. "And it's my Pot of Greed! I draw two more cards!" He did so.

"One card facedown." A holocard appeared. "And I summon V-Tiger Jet in defense mode." The robotic cat appeared, crouching.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

"That ends my turn."

"So the Warrior chooses to hide behind defense monsters and facedown cards. I expected more of a challenge." Greekman drew. "I play Stop Defense!" The card rose up. "Now I can switch your V-Tiger Jet to attack mode!"

"This is not a good thing..." muttered CV as V-Tiger Jet stood up.

"And I'll also play Poison of the Old Man!" The holocard appeared. "It lets me choose between doing 800 points of effect damage to you, or giving myself 1200 life points... But since Bad Reaction would make his green vial poisonous to me, I choose to do damage to you!" The old man appeared out of the card and threw the purple vial in his hand at CV

"You just activated my trap card," said CV. "FUSION GUARD!" The facedown rose up. "This card activates when I'm about to take effect damage. Now the poison is neutralized!" VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon appeared, blocking the vial with it's hand. "But to do so, I have to randomly send a fusion monster from my deck to the graveyard. Thanks, buddy," said CV as his mighty megazord vanished.

"So you've saved yourself from a minor wound... YOU WON'T BE SAVED FROM THIS! FIVE-HEADED DRAGON! DESTROY HIS MONSTER!" The massive Dragon let loose, this time with a mighty blast from it's water head, flushing V-Tiger Jet away.

CyberV: 4800

Greekman: 5000

"Ouch..." CV scowled.

'I need to turn this duel around, and quickly!' He drew. "I drew Hyozanryu! That means I can draw another card!" He did so.

"Okay, here goes... I play Shining Abyss in defense mode." Shining Abyss appeared.

Shining Abyss: 1600/1800

"Two cards facedown." Two holocards appeared. "And that's all."

"If that's the best you can do, you might as well surrender the Scepter now and get it over with!" Greekman grinned with feral glee. "Soon, I'll have all the power I need to crush Ramesus."

* * *

"He's not doing too well," said Drift.

"Come on..." muttered Jay. "You can beat this creep."

They watched as Greekman drew a card.

"Come on, CV... THINK!"

* * *

"My turn," said Greekman. "And soon, you'll fall! I play Meteor of Destruction!" A massive fireball struck from the sky. "To deliver 1000 points of damage to you!"

CyberV: 3800

Greekman: 5000

"And I'll play Ookazi, for another 800 points of damage!" Flames shot out from the card as it appeared, striking CV.

CyberV: 3000

Greekman: 5000

"NOW DESTROY HIS ABYSS!" The Earth head lashed out, spitting boulders that crushed Shining Abyss.

"REVEAL HERO SIGNAL!" said CyberV. "Now that one of my monsters has been destroyed in battle, I can summon a four star Elemental Hero from my deck! Namely, Elemental Hero Wildheart!" The savage fighter appeared, crouching.

Elemental Hero Wildheart: 1500/1600

"So you have gained a new defender. He won't last long."

"He doesn't need to," said CV.

"You know," said Rocket Warrior. "He's actually pretty good. Other than the whole rotten to the core thing." CV just gave him a bemused look.

"It's like fighting yourself, isn't it? Except I can crush your defenses with my monster while whittling away at your vitality! And I'll continue to do so with this! One card facedown!" A holocard appeared. "I end my turn."

CyberV chuckled. "Yep. It's familiar, all right." He drew.

"And now I reveal my trap! Minor Goblin Official!" The goblin appeared in a spell zone. "Now that your life points are 3000, he can whittle away at them during each of your standby phases. Each of your turns, you'll lose another 500 life points!"

CyberV: 2500

Greekman: 5000

"This duel'll be over LONG before he can finish the job," said CV. "First, I summon Bazoo the Soul-Eater in defense mode!" A baboon appeared. "But he won't be sticking around. I reveal my trap card! Ultimate Offering!" The trap rose up. "Now, by paying 500 life points, I can have another normal summon this turn!"

CyberV: 2000

Greekman: 5000

"So now I'll sacrifice Bazoo and Wildheart to summon Hyozanryu!" Both monsters faded away as Hyozanryu burst forth.

Hyozanryu: 2100/2800

"I don't get it..." Hikari was confused. "Why give up two defense monsters for one that won't do Any better?"

"Maybe the pressure got to him, suggested Joey.

"Or maybe," said Yugi, "he's up to something."

CV said nothing... But he smiled. That, more than anything, infuriated Greekman.

"This ends soon," he warned. "You won't last much longer."

"You're right. Boredom always HAS been my greatest weakness." He continued to smirk.

"That," said Greekman, "and not knowing when to surrender!" He drew. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon! And I'll use it to destroy your Heart of the Underdog!" The winds blew, and Heart of the Underdog shattered.

"And then I'll play my second Stamping Destruction! With a dragon on my field, I can destroy your Bad Reaction to Simochi and deal you 500 points of damage!" Five-Headed Dragon roared, and Bad Reaction shattered.

CyberV: 1500

Greekman: 5000

"Now destroy Hyozanryu!" This time, it was the dark head, spitting jet-black flames that scorched the earth where Hyozanryu had been.

"That probably hurt," muttered Rocket Warrior.

"My turn," said CV as he drew.

"And Minor Goblin Official activates," said Greekman.

CyberV: 1000

Greekman: 5000

"I play Pot of Avarice! Now I select five monster cards in my graveyard and return them to my deck!" Shining Abyss, Wildheart, Bazoo, Jinzo, and Magical Scientist appeared, then shot into his deck. "And now I draw two cards!" He did so. "And now to summon a creature unlike Any seen before!"

"This is it... If he's gonna turn this duel around, it's now or never." Joey clenched his fists.

"First, I remove Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes Black Dragon from play!" The two dragons burst from his graveyard and roared before rising into the sky. "To create a mighty new beast... YIN-YANG DRAGON!" There was a flash, and the two dragons came back down together... but changed. Now, they were twins, one black, one red. The red one carried a white orb, and the white one carried a black orb.

Yin-Yang Dragon: 0/0

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A holocard appeared.

"That's it? All the hoopla for a monster with no attack points? What a rip!" Joey was disappointed.

Yugi said nothing. He was content to watch.

"You must be ready to admit defeat," said Greekman. "A powerless monster... a DARK monster... in attack mode. I almost feel ashamed to do this... But I quickly get over it... DESTROY IT!"

Five-Headed Dragon let loose with a blast from the wind dragon's head.

"You've fallen for my trap," said CV. "I activate Yin-Yang Dragon's special ability! Now, for every card in my deck that I remove from play, he gains 500 attack and defense points until the end of the turn! And I discard eleven!" CyberV grabbed the top 11 cards from his deck and put them in his pocket.

Yin-Yang Dragon: 5500/5500

The wind blast struck Yin-Yang Dragon, but had no effect. On the contrary, the red dragon blew flames, blocking the attack and sending it right to Greekman.

CyberV: 1000

Greekman: 4500

"So I lose a pittance of life points. I can afford it. You still can't destroy my dragon!"

"You're wrong. I already have." As CyberV said it, the white Dragon flew forward and rammed Five-Headed Dragon, knocking the beast backwards and onto it's back, where it shattered.

"But... But HOW?!" Greekman was astonished.

"Yin-Yang Dragon has a secondary ability," said CyberV. "One your field spell couldn't defend against... My dragon may be classified as a dark monster, but it can be treated as a light monster as well!"

Greekman watched as Yin-Yang Dragon returned to CV's side.

"You dirty... I play Dimension Fusion! Now the monsters I used to create my dragon return to the field! And I only pay 2000 life points!"

CyberV: 1000

Greekman: 2500

Five dragons appeared, all in defense mode.

Thunder Dragon: 1600/1500

Crawling Dragon: 1600/1400

Cave Dragon: 2000/100

Crawling Dragon #2: 1600/1200

Luster Dragon #2: 2400/1400

"Of course, you don't dare attack this turn, since my dragon still has his power boost," said CV.

"But next turn, you're mine," said Greekman. "And in the meantime, my field spell now applies to Cave Dragon." The bubble reappeared around Cave Dragon

"Perhaps," said CV as he drew. "But I doubt you'll get that turn."

CyberV: 500

Greekman: 2500

"First, Yin-Yang Dragon returns to normal."

Yin-Yang Dragon: 0/0

"Next, I reveal my trap card! Call of the Haunted!" The card rose up. "Now I can revive one monster in my graveyard... VWXYZ-DRAGON CATAPULT CANNON!" The mighty megazord burst from the ground and stood tall, looming over the field.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800

"So you'll cost me life points... I just have to survive this turn to win."

"Oh, but you've lost," said CV. "Thanks to MONSTER REBORN!"

"He wouldn't... He COULDN'T..." Hikari was in awe.

"He is," said Yugi. "This duel's over."

"COME FORTH... FIVE-HEADED DRAGON!" The card glowed as the dragon that had been menacing CV the entire game reappeared... on the Warrior's side of the field.

Five-Headed Dragon: 5000/5000

"And I'll equip him with the spell Fairy Meteor Crush! Now all the difference in his attack points and your monster's defense points come out of your life points." The spell appeared.

Greekman looked up, horrified.

"If it's any consolation," said CyberV, "I promise that he'll be a great asset in my duel against Ramesus. But first things first." CyberV glared at Greekman.

"ONE, you showed no honor by coming here to betray your leader! TWO, you sought to take what did not belong to you! THREE, you seek only your own glory, regardless of the cost! FOUR, you've helped bring the city to the brink of destruction! FIVE, you've delayed me from helping my friends! You've crossed the line, Greekman, and your story ends here! I am the Warrior of the Balance... CYBERV... FOR VICTORY!" He flashed the victory sign. "Boys? FINISH IT."

VWXYZ and Five-Headed Dragon let loose, and Greekman's monsters vaporized in a massive explosion.

CyberV: 500

Greekman: 0

The field faded away, returning to the depot, as CyberV walked towards the vanquished Greekman, who was on his knees, stunned by disbelief.

"My plan was perfect! How could I lose?"

"You lost because you have only darkness in your soul. But don't worry... You'll have a long time to find the spark of light inside. You lost the duel, now pay the price for your evil actions! PENALTY GAME! REDEMPTION CAGE!" CyberV's wdjat flared.

Greekman was momentarily blinded, but as his vision cleared, he could see he was still at the depot... But there were bars all round him, caging him in.

"What is this?!"

"A jail with only one key to the lock: repentance." CyberV looked him right in the eyes. He had Greekman's deck in his hand. "You're going to look deep into your heart and think about the darkness you've helped create. Think hard and long. When you finally feel true remorse and a desire to make things right, the cage will open and free you. But I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon." CyberV turned away from Greekman. "Good riddance, Greekman. And good luck." He moved away from Greekman and didn't look back.

"HEY! HEY! COME BACK HERE! LET ME OUT OF THIS CAGE! LET ME OUT! PLEASE! ...p-please..." He watched CyberV join the others, trapped by a cage that existed only in his mind.

His wail of anguish was heart wrenching.

"You're not gonna leave him like that, are ya?" asked Joey.

"Assuming we survive the battle," said CV, "I'll probably free him from the penance cage... But right now, I won't risk him trying to be a factor of chaos in this battle." He relaxed, and his hair returned to normal, the wdjat vanishing from his head. The Millennium Wdjat ejected from the Scepter, and he replaced it on his wrist.

"Now let's go save our friends."

* * *

Jay pumped his fist into the air as Greekman was defeated.

"OH YEAH! That's the stuff!" He turned to Drift. "Told you he could do it!"

"Jay..."

"What? You doubted? Live and learn, man. Live and-"

"JAY!"

Jay winced. "Yeah?"

Drift looked to his right. "Look." Jay did, and he didn't like what he was seeing. "Mokuba..."

"MOKUBA!" Jay ran to him. "Are you okay?"

"He can't hear you," said a chilling voice. Slowly, Jay turned to see that Giant Ramesus was back. "And I apologize for leaving so abruptly before... But you've got my undivided attention now..." Jay could see that the creep already had his hands on the Creator. Even now, the spirit struggled in futility against the giant's grasp.

"Well, this sucks."

* * *

Ramesus opened his eyes.

"Okay, WHAT was that?" asked Poison. "One minute you're bragging about this supposed master plan, and the next you zoned out."

"I just had some... business to attend to. Now, shall we return to annihilating the Good Duelists?" He chuckled and looked at the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in his hand. "After all, I just came three large steps closer to that very goal..."

* * *

"We can't waste anymore time," said Yugi as they got back into Mouse's car. "We may already be too late."

"At least now we have the Scepter on our side," said CV. "We're finally moving in the right direction."

"Yeah," said Hikari. "Let's just hope we stay on the right path."

* * *

Jay watched as they started back towards the Academy. A part of him wanted to jump and cheer, for they were very close to stopping this madness.

He looked to his left to see the Creator, hovering in the air, trapped in a bubble of shadow energy, and felt his hope fading.

"Please... Hurry..."

Hanging from a cross, just like the rest, it was hard to imagine an end to the nightmare...

* * *

Jimbo's eyes opened.

"He comes. At long last, he comes." He could sense the power of his quarry. "And I shall have my ultimate revenge. How sweet it is..." His eyes glowed red, and he laughed an inhuman laugh, long and loud...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Yugi vs. Jimbo! Rematch of the Millennium!


	41. Rematch of the Millennium!

This chapter is dedicated to Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert. Educator, entertainer, and a great man. You will be missed.

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh!: the Arcane Chronicles: Following his victory in Battle City, Yugi and Atem found themselves in a bizarre duel against Anubis, the god of death and his Pyramid of Light. Ultimately, they triumphed and shattered the Pyramid of Light. Jimbo's father collected the remains and fashioned them into a pendant that would fall into Jimbo's hands a few years later. Following a bizarre series of events in the Memory World, Yugi and Atem were separated, and Atem's spirit moved on, the Millennium Puzzle lost in the aftermath. Recently, impatient with how slowly his shadow powers were developing, Jimbo began wearing the pendant his father made, and ever since has been behaving strangely. CyberV, meanwhile, had finally gained the Scepter of the Balance, and immediately found himself in mortal combat with Greekman. Narrowly pulling out a victory, he and the others rushed to return to the Academy to end Ramesus' reign of terror. In the Shadow Realm, Jay became Ramesus' prisoner, discovering that Allis had betrayed them, and that Mokuba had just fallen, meaning that Ramesus now had the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon at his disposal. Ashes continued to mourn the loss of Jay. Ishizu continued to keep watch over a very important box in her possession...

* * *

Ever since the Warrior had been discovered, Ishizu had suffered nightmares. It was never the same, either. In some, Ramesus retained sole possession of the Scepter and destroyed the world. In others, the Warrior proved corrupt, worse than the one he faced. There were many other nightmares, each as horrifying as the last. She deeply missed peaceful sleep.

But the reality they now faced was far worse than anything she could have imagined.

Even far removed from the current battles raging throughout the massive castle that served as the Arcane Academy, she could hear the chittering of the Winged Minions that Ramesus had unleashed, and the screams of the fallen.

She didn't need to see the carnage to know that the Good Duelists were beginning to lose ground.

She looked out the window, hoping for some sign of the Warrior's return. Only he could stem the tide of darkness now... Only he... and perhaps one other.

She grasped the box in her hands tighter than before.

But there was more, she knew. Years ago, when she had possessed the Millennium Necklace, she had seen visions of horrors a generation away. It had been one of the worst visions that had prompted her to attend these proceedings in person.

If her vision were to come to pass now, it would be disastrous.

She closed her eyes, and saw a mental image of Jimbo, eyes blood red, laughing inhumanly as more and more unfortunate duelists got in his way, only to fall like wheat before a scythe. The first time she had seen that image, she'd felt a chill of unimaginable evil.

She felt that chill now. She opened her eyes, just in time to see Mouse's car entering the grounds.

"All has come to pass as once I saw it," she muttered to herself. "And now, a champion will face a tremendous challenge... May the Gods smile upon him, for if they do not, we are all doomed."

* * *

Elsewhere in the Academy, Jimbo turned away from a fading student and grinned.

"At last. He comes." His eyes glowed brighter. "COME TO ME AND MEET YOUR END!!!"

CyberV looked as the Academy loomed up ahead.

"Hang on, guys... We're coming..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 41: Yugi vs. Jimbo! Rematch of the Millennium!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"He failed," mused Ramesus. "Greekman failed. I knew he would, but still, it's disappointing that I won't be able to crush him for his betrayal right away."

"Boss?" Fury was worried. "If Greekman didn't stop them, doesn't that mean...?"

"That the Warrior finally has his Scepter?" Ramesus asked it casually, but turned with deliberate menace. "Yes." His hand thrust out and grabbed Fury by the throat. With no effort at all, he lifted the lackey off his feet.

"Yes, the Warrior has achieved his full power. Yes, the Warrior now actually stands a chance of defeating me and stopping my plans!"

"Calm down!" shouted Poison. "He didn't do anything wrong!"

"No, he did not," said Ramesus as he let go. Fury dropped to the ground and landed on his butt. The duelist breathed a sigh of relief.

"But he has not done RIGHT, either!" Ramesus closed his hand into a fist, and a vortex appeared under Fury.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!" Unable to save himself, he fell through, the hole closing behind him.

"No more games," said Ramesus. "It's time to prepare for the final stage of my plan. And when I am done, the Warrior and his friends will be naught but dust beneath my boots."

'He's gone completely over the edge!' Poison, horrified, took a step back without realizing it. 'If he'd do that to someone that was loyal to him... What's he gonna do when he realizes I've been working against him?'

"So, shall we return to the business at hand?" Ramesus grinned.

For the first time, Poison felt something very akin to fear...

* * *

Joey parked Mouse's car with speed borne of desperation. CV, Hikari, and Yugi didn't even wait for him to stop it before jumping out.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" he called out, before muttering to himself and rushing to join them.

"Come on!" said Yugi. "Every second means more innocents suffering!"

"Not for long," muttered CV as they reached the entrance. "Oh man..." Just beyond the door's windows, he could see duel disks strewn everywhere. And slowly, being backed towards the doors, were Ashes and Nat. Facing them was a veritable wall of Winged Minion.

"Hang on!" muttered CV as he threw the doors open. Without thinking, he thrust the Scepter forward. "SHADOW BEASTS BEGONE!" The Scepter responded instantly, sending out a golden beam of light that sent the monsters flying the way they came.

"...Woah." Nat blinked, then turned slowly to see the one thing she'd hoped to more than anything.

"YOU FOUND IT!" exclaimed Ashes.

"Yeah," said CV. "And now to put it to good use. Where are the others?"

"We got split up," said Nat. "But we haven't heard from Drift or Mokuba in a while."

"Aw geez... Kaiba's gonna freak when he hears about this..." Joey had a nasty feeling things were going to get worse.

"You mean they're gone?" asked Hikari.

"Probably," said Ashes. "Just like Jay and the rest..."

"Lamenting the past won't save them," said Yugi. "Action will. We need to regroup. Now that we have the Scepter on our side, it's time to come up with a new strategy."

"Right." Nat tapped the comlink on her ear. "Time to regroup at central," she said. "The package just got delivered."

* * *

"Good work," said LazyMan as he stood behind his desk. "Now we have a chance."

"How bad is it?" asked CV.

"Bad. We're losing students left and right, and no one's seen Any staff since Mokuba went silent."

"Pfft," said Hikari. "Like they were ever relevant to the plot."

Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "What? The dork's the only one that can make non-sequitur?"

The others sweatdropped.

"ANYWAY... It's getting pretty grim out there. I'm not sure how much longer we can mount an effective defense with those Winged Minion hordes roaming the halls."

"Then it's time I did some house cleaning," said CV. He grasped the Scepter tightly.

"Agreed," said LazyMan. "But be careful. Losing the Scepter once did all this. I don't want to think about how much worse things could get."

* * *

"YUGI!" Tea hugged the returning hero so hard that Joey and Tristan thought they might need the jaws of life to separate them again.

"I'm glad to see you're all right," he said, returning the embrace.

"It's been pretty ugly here, man. These kids are starting to drop like flies."

"We're standing right here..." said an annoyed Nat.

Tristan sweatdropped. "I mean... they're giving it their all! Yeah, that's it..."

"Nice recovery..." muttered Joey, blatantly not meaning it.

Watching from nearby, Ashes felt a fresh pang of sorrow. It wasn't that long ago that Jay hugged her that way... But now...

Now she was feeling sorry for herself instead of giving the fight everything she had.

She mentally berated herself; pity wouldn't solve anything... Action would.

Which, naturally, is when she heard the screams.

She turned, expecting a horde of Minion. Instead, she saw Jimbo, all alone, walking down the corridor like a conquering king.

"That jerk's dumber than he looks if he thinks strolling in here's a good idea..." said Flame Sprite.

Ashes started towards Jimbo, but stopped as he glanced towards her with glowing red eyes.

"...He might be right." She tapped her comlink. "Guys! Jimbo's here, and there's something strange about him."

"It's Jimbo," said Hikari over the link. "That boy's NEVER been right."

Ashes sweatdropped. "I mean his eyes are glowing red and he's making a beeline for Yugi."

"On our way," said Lazyman.

Ashes broke the connection. 'What is he up to? He can't possibly be planning to duel Yugi, can he?'

"HEADS UP!" she shouted. As she did, Jimbo sneered, and a sudden pulse of power went through the hall, knocking her into the wall.

"ASHES!' yelled Nat.

"Worry not for her, child. Fear for the Vessel." Jimbo spoke in an inhuman voice, one that sent chills down Yugi's spine.

Yugi narrowed his eyes. "It's you, isn't it?"

Jimbo grinned. "Of course. Did you truly think you had seen the last of me? I don't die that easily."

"Okay, I'm lost," said Joey.

"Ditto," agreed Tristan.

Slowly, realization dawned on Tea. "No way... It can't be... Don't you recognize that voice?"

Ashes steadied herself as an aura of evil became visible around Jimbo. Nat braced herself for a fight.

Then Jimbo collapsed, like a puppet with it's strings cut.

"Well, that was unexpected," muttered Joey.

"No," said Yugi, cryptically. "It wasn't."

CV and the others ran up, just in time to see Jimbo's collapse.

"Awww... We missed it." CV sighed, disappointed.

"I'm afraid it's just begun," said Yugi as black energy began to rise from Jimbo. The energy grew and molded itself, slowly forming the shape of a massive armored man with cruel features.

The man gained his true coloring and grinned maliciously. "I have no more use for this foolish child. Not with you here."

"ANUBIS!" Tea, Joey, and Tristan all blurted out his name, horrified. It would have been impossible to forget this being, one of their most powerful enemies... The god of death itself.

"How have you returned?" demanded Yugi.

"It was simple," said Anubis. "The child's fool father sought power through me and the shards of the Pyramid of Light. Instead, I used the boy as a carrier while I regained my former strength." He flexed his hands. "And now, I shall take YOU, the former shell of the Pharaoh, to be my new host. I shall use your body to renew my dominion over this world and sully the name of he who sealed me away."

"Anubis?" CV braced himself. "Not good. YUGI! You don't have shadow powers anymore! Let me handle him!"

Anubis glanced towards CV. "I see the Warrior of the Balance is here as well. How fortuitous. After I crush the Vessel, I shall deeply enjoy wresting your power from your broken body."

"Charmed, I'm sure..." CV reached for the Millennium Wdjat, ready to transform.

"Don't!" ordered Yugi, sharply. "This is my battle."

"And I shall make certain that you see it through," said Anubis as he raised one arm. In the palm of his hand, black slime began to form. Before anyone could think to stop him, it flew forward, striking Tea in the chest.

"TEA!' exclaimed Yugi. Before the horrified eyes of all assembled, the slime began extruding tendrils that wrapped around Tea's arms and legs.

"I CAN'T MOVE!" she yelled. "YUGI!"

"LET HER GO!" demanded Yugi. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"She has EVERYTHING to do with it," said Anubis. "This is what you would call an... insurance policy." He chuckled, and the ground opened up under Tea. All anyone could do was watch as she fell through the dark portal... All save Joey, who dove forward to try and grab her.

"HANG ON, TEA!" he called out, before Tristan grabbed his shirt and yanked him back, just in time to save him from being crushed by the closing pit.

"You have GOT to start looking where you leap..." he muttered.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Yugi's rage was palpable.

"It's simple," said Anubis. "She's with all the other fools who have fallen in the larger shadow game going on here. But she's safe for now..." He motioned, and more slime formed a window that showed right into Ramesus' special hiding place in the Shadow Realm. Before their eyes were dozens of students and teachers, all trussed up on floating crosses. Front and center was Tea, dazed but alive, trapped like all the rest.

Nat, Ashes, Hikari, and CV couldn't help but notice one other... Jay, in the same predicament.

"JAY!"

"Don't bother. Your friend cannot see nor hear you. But you're more than welcome to watch them languish for all eternity while I crush what remains of my old enemy."

Ashes watched Jay just hanging there, struggling there in futility. She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

CV clenched his fists. "You dirty..."

"Enough of this prattle," said Anubis. "The time has come for you to meet your final fate." A ghoulish duel disk appeared on Anubis's arm.

"You'll regret ever returning," said Yugi as his disk spun around to play mode. "I'll return you to the ooze you crawled from."

Yugi: 4000

Anubis: 4000

"DUEL!"

* * *

Ishizu ran through the corridors, a woman on a mission of desperation. She cradled the box in her arms with the greatest care imaginable. Even now, she could tell, instinctively, that Yugi was in grave danger... Indeed, if Anubis won, their lives were all forfeit.

She just prayed that she would arrive in time.

* * *

Yugi and Anubis stared one another down, each waiting for the other to make the next move, even as each drew five cards.

"I believe that I shall begin the onslaught," said Anubis as he drew a sixth. "I summon one creature face down." A card appeared on the field. "And one card facedown. That will do for now." A second card appeared behind the first.

"For all your talk of devastation, your opening gambit leaves little to fear!" Yugi drew. "I summon the Feral Imp in attack mode!" A green imp appeared, ready to do battle.

Feral Imp: 1300/1400

"And I'll equip him with Horn of the Unicorn!" A spell card appeared as a sharp horn materialized on the Imp's head. "Now his attack and defense will increase by 700 points!"

Feral Imp (equipped) : 2000/2100

"Now attack!" ordered Yugi. "Destroy his facedown monster!"

Feral Imp's horn crackled with electricity as it let out a blast of sheer energy.

"A foolish move, Vessel," said Anubis. "I reveal my trap card! Ordeal of a Traveler!" As his card rose up, a gigantic Sphinx appeared behind the villain. "Now, you must select one card in my hand and identify it as a monster, spell, or trap. If you are wrong, your monster returns to your hand!"

Yugi clenched his teeth.

"And there's more... Each time you declare an attack, this trap will activate once more! The battle has only just begun, and you've already lost!"

"Not yet, I haven't!" Yugi glared. "The far left card in your hand... I say it's a spell."

The Sphinx's eyes glowed... the color of a spell card.

"A lucky guess," said Anubis as the electricity struck his facedown monster. "But it won't help you!" Instead of exploding, the card erupted with sand, forming into a crouching beast made entire of the desert itself.

Sand Moth: 1000/2000

"Your monster's defense is equal to the attack of my Imp," said Yugi. "So neither are destroyed."

"Very true, but with my Ordeal on the field, how long before you run out of beasts to protect you?" He sneered. "Surrender, and I promise I'll be merciful to your pitiful friends... Their end will be swift and painless."

Yugi scowled. "One card facedown, and that ends my turn." A holocard appeared.

"My turn," said Anubis. He drew. "And I'll sacrifice my Sand Moth!" The Sand Moth erupted into a whirlwind. "To summon the mighty Hieracosphinx!" A bird-headed beast appeared, tensed and ready for combat.

Hieracosphinx: 2400/1200

"Now attack his imp!" The chimera flapped it's wings, and the massive blast of wind struck the Feral Imp, shattering it.

Yugi: 3600

Anubis: 4000

"Unfortunately for you," said Yugi, "destroying my Imp allows my Horn of the Unicorn to return to the top of my deck!" His deck glowed as the card returned.

"It will do you little good, since my Ordeal will demolish your monsters soon enough. But go ahead and do your worst." Anubis chuckled. "Soon, your body and soul will be mine, and I shall rule this planet."

"You'll rule NOTHING!" Yugi drew. "I held this back last turn, but not now! I play Card Destruction!" He held up the card, which glowed. "Now we each discard our hands and draw new ones equal to the number of cards we hold now!" Yugi sent his hand away. Anubis did the same, and then both drew.

"And now," said Yugi, "I play Pot of Greed!" The Pot appeared and shattered. "So I gain two new cards!" He drew twice more.

"And one of the cards I drew was my trusty Watapon!" A small puffball appeared on the field.

Watapon: 200/300

"I've seen this one before." Anubis was not impressed.

"Why did he summon Watapon?" asked Tristan.

"It was automatic," said Nat. "Watapon's special ability compels it to come to the field if it'd drawn by a card effect."

"Oh. Right. I knew that..." He sweatdropped.

"And now I'll play Monster Reborn!" The card appeared.

"You're going to bring back that pitiful Imp?"

"No," said Yugi. "I'm summoning an old friend that was sent to the graveyard through Card Destruction! COME FORTH DARK MAGICIAN OF CHAOS!" The ground erupted as a black-clad sorcerer flew out of it and took his place by his master's side.

Dark Magician of Chaos: 2800/2600

"And because he was special summoned, I can revive a spell card from my graveyard... My Pot of Greed!" The pot returned. "So now I draw twice more!" He did so and the pot shattered again.

"You can attack me all you like, said Anubis. "You can draw all you like. It makes no difference! In the end, I shall crush you!"

"NEVER!" said Yugi. "Reveal trap card! The Eye of Truth!" The card rose up. "Now each of your turns where you have a spell card in hand, you gain 1000 life points... but I can see your cards for the remainder of the duel, effectively negating the advantage you've gained from Ordeal of a Traveler!"

Anubis bit back a curse. "You dare to make sport of me?!"

"I do," said Yugi, "And I'll continue with the spell Mystic Box!" Two boxes appeared, one around Watapon, the other around Hieracosphinx. "Now, your Sphinx is destroyed!" Swords entered the box.

"You scum..."

"But you get a gift to replace him... My Watapon!" The box next to Anubis opened again to reveal, not Hieracosphinx, but Watapon.

"How DARE you sully me with this pathetic joke! You'll die for this, Vessel!" Furious, Anubis lashed out, kicking the prone Jimbo and sending him flying into the wall. "I'll demolish you as easily as this fool child!"

"I doubt that," said Yugi. "Since I summoned Watapon in ATTACK mode!"

"Oh, this is gonna be GOOD..." CV smirked. "Watapon's an incredibly weak monster, and with just Ordeal to defend him, he won't last... because Ordeal's basically worthless now that Yugi can see the card he'll be randomly choosing."

"So," said Yugi. "Let's see that hand." Before him, Anubis's hand appeared. Another Sand Moth. Pyramid Energy. Draining Shield. And the last card...

"IT CAN'T BE!"

Anubis chuckled. "It is. Make your attack, for the next round means your doom."

Ishizu, panting heavily, arrived in time to see Yugi's reaction. "It is... as I feared..."

CV turned to face her. "Ishizu! Are you okay?"

"My welfare is unimportant. All that matters is stopping Anubis." She breathed deeply, exhausted. "Yugi must have what is in this box if he is to survive this duel!"

"The... box?" Ashes was confused.

CV felt a pulse from the Scepter. "...You... You don't mean..."

Recovering from his shock, Yugi glared at Anubis. "ATTACK, my monster, with CHAOS SCEPTER BLAST!" Dark Magician of Chaos slammed his staff to the ground, and black mystical energy lashed out. "And the card on your far left is a trap!" The sphinx's eyes glowed purple.

The energy struck Watapon head on, and the puffball shattered.

Yugi: 3600

Anubis: 1400

"WAY TA GO, YUGI!" cheered Joey.

"Show that creep who's boss!" Tristan continued to root for his old friend, unmindful of the last card Anubis possessed.

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

"I thought as much." Anubis drew. "And because I have a spell, my life points increase thanks to your precious Eye."

Yugi: 3600

Anubis: 2400

"Perfect." Anubis placed two cards facedown. "Two cards facedown is all I need to do to annihilate you." The last card faded from Yugi's sight. He knew what was coming.

"Make your final move," he boasted.

"Come on!" said Joey. "If you attack him, it's all over. He's wide open!"

"No," said Yugi as he drew. "He isn't."

"WARRIOR!" shouted Ishizu. "You must get this box to Yugi IMMEDIATELY! WE'RE OUT OF TIME!"

Prompted by Ishizu's shout, CV grabbed the box.

"REVEAL TRAP CARD!" shouted Anubis. "PYRAMID OF LIGHT!"

Joey and Tristan's eyes went wide as they realized, belatedly, what Yugi had reacted to. The ground shook as, behind Anubis, the first wall of the glowing Pyramid appeared.

"YUGI! GET OUT OF THERE!" Tristan called to Yugi, but it was hopeless. The second wall came between them. The third began to rise as Hikari watched, horrified.

"UNCLE YUGI!"

"This is insane!" exclaimed LazyMan.

The fourth began to materialize. Running as fast as he could, CV dove forward, getting through the barrier just before it could solidify.

"What just happened?" asked Nat.

"I fear that for now," said Ishizu, "Yugi and the Warrior are on their own."

* * *

Inside the Pyramid, Anubis laughed. "How does it feel, Vessel, to be once more trapped inside my invincible Pyramid of Light?"

"I've defeated you before, and so help me, I'll do it again!"

"And you won't do it alone," said CV. "I'm with you, no matter what."

Yugi nodded at that.

"Your presence means less than nothing!" said Anubis. "For now, I pay 1000 of my life points to summon my great sphinx beasts to the field! ANDRO SPHINX! SPHINX TELEIA! ARISE!"

Yugi: 3600

Anubis: 1400

The Pyramid glowed brightly as the two vicious creatures erupted from Anubis's deck. The first looked like a deadly man-lion, ready to rend flesh with it's claws. The second, half woman, half griffin, screeched with an ear-piercing tone.

Andro Sphinx: 3000/2500

Sphinx Teleia: 2500/3000

"You can beat them, right?" asked CV.

"Individually, perhaps," said Yugi. "But Anubis still has one of his cards facedown, and I know which one. I fear this situation is far grimmer than you know, and I'm not sure I'll be able to stop him."

"That's not good," muttered Rocket Warrior. "The way he's talking, it's like he's on the verge of giving up."

'Losing Tea to this madness must have shaken him up,' thought CV. 'Well then, maybe it's time he gained back something important!'

"YUGI!" shouted CV. "Take this box!"

"Hmmm?" Yugi looked, confused.

Anubis saw it and roared with fury. "You DARE interfere?! DIE!" He aimed his hand, and crimson energy lanced out at CV. Instinctively, CV drew the Scepter and twirled it in his hand, creating a makeshift shield.

"TAKE IT NOW!" He threw the box with his free hand, just before the blast could knock him off his feet. Deftly, Yugi caught the precious parcel.

"NO!" exclaimed Anubis as Yugi opened the box.

For Yugi, the world went yellow.

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes and beheld something he had never expected to see again: an all too familiar maze of stairs, passages, and doors.

"I.. I don't believe it!" He looked up to see himself, frozen in time, holding that which he had assumed lost forever... Inside the box was the Millennium Puzzle.

"I don't know how this happened, but now I have a chance of stopping this insanity!" He ran through the corridors, remembering from long ago the necessary path to take.

'Every second is precious! There's no telling how long I will remain inside the Puzzle! I just pray he's still here!'

He ran as fast as he'd ever run, stopping for nothing, until he reached the door he needed... the door with the mark of the Wdjat. Placing his hands upon it, he pushed with all his strength... And slowly, the heavy steel door opened.

"Hello, Yugi," said a familiar voice almost exactly like his own. Yugi looked into the room and saw an elaborate Egyptian temple... and standing in the center was Atem.

"It's been a long time," continued the Pharaoh.

"Too long, old friend," said Yugi as he stepped inside.

"You've forged a path between the worlds of the living and the worlds of the dead... Is the situation truly that grim?"

Yugi walked closer. "I'm afraid it is. Anubis has returned, and I don't believe I can stop him alone."

"I feared he would try something." Atem clenched his fists. "I should have annihilated all traces of the Pyramid when I had the chance."

"It's not too late," said Yugi. "Together, we defeated him once. Together, we can do so again."

"I no longer reside within the Puzzle," said Atem. "Our connection cannot be maintained indefinitely. And it could prove a terrible strain on both of us. It could kill you."

"He took Tea," said Yugi, now face to face with Atem. "I'll chance it."

Atem nodded. "Very well. Prepare yourself." He placed his hands on Yugi's shoulders... and both began to glow.

* * *

The golden light filled the Pyramid now. CV, still on the floor after Anubis's attack, watched in astonishment.

"IT CAN'T BE!" shouted Anubis.

"Oh, it CAN," said CV. "Checkmate."

"YUGIOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Yugi's hair stood up straighter as the Puzzle's chain went around his neck for the first time in a generation. His eyes, focused before, gained an entire new level of depth.

"ANUBIS!" shouted Yami Yugi. "I've traveled a long way to deal with you once and for all! You wanted a battle? Now you've got one! And I won't rest until you're scattered to the four winds once for all!"

The golden wdjat appeared on Yugi's forehead. There was no doubting it... The Pharaoh had returned...

"Pharaoh or no Pharaoh," said Anubis. "By the end of this duel, I shall rule the cosmos itself, and none of you shall live to see it!"

Yami Yugi braced himself... The true battle had only just begun...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: In the Shadow of the Pharaoh! Anubis' Ultimate Assault!


	42. In the Shadow of the Pharoah!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: In the aftermath of Yugi's battle with Anubis, Jimbo's father gathered the shards of the Pyramid of Light and created a pendant, which he then used in an attempt to sacrifice his son for power. Jimbo's Mystic Swordsman saved him from the attempt, but was unable to stop Jimbo from donning the pendant years later. Jimbo was almost immediately possessed by Anubis, who laid low for months until Yugi arrived on the school campus. Immediately discarding Jimbo, Anubis forced Yugi into a shadow game in an attempt to possess the King of Games. Anubis's plan involved banishing Tea to the Shadow Realm, thus clouding Yugi's mind with anger. But Ishizu had come prepared, and with CyberV's help, returned to him the one thing that could turn the tide... The Millennium Puzzle... and the Pharaoh himself...

Meanwhile, Poison found himself unable to take action to stop the madness as Ramesus opted to keep him close, and Allis received a message that Ramesus wasn't done with her yet.

* * *

Yami Yugi glared at the god of death, Anubis, with something very akin to annoyance. He held the Millennium Puzzle in his hand, and looked at CyberV, who was pulling himself up after the god had attacked him for interfering.

"Are you all right, Warrior?"

CV nodded. "I'm fine. Just get this guy."

"With pleasure."

Even though it was Yugi's turn, the situation looked grim. Anubis had summoned two of his most powerful monsters, had the Pyramid of Light in play, and no doubt had something even nastier than that ready to go through his facedown card. The only good news was that Yugi's own Eye of Truth negated Anubis' Ordeal of a Traveler, and showed him Anubis' hand.

Andro Sphinx: 3000/2500

Sphinx Teleia: 2500/3000

On Yugi's side was a sole spellcaster, no match for the battle that, he suspected, was about to be vastly escalated.

Dark Magician of Chaos: 2800/2600

Yugi: 3600

Anubis: 1400

'We could attack now,' thought Yugi. 'If we destroy Teleia, he can't summon his strongest monster.'

'True,' responded Atem, mentally, 'but I doubt we'll have the opportunity.'

"Now that you've arrived, Pharaoh, I can truly enjoy my victory." Anubis chuckled. "And I'll begin by reviving an old friend! REVEAL MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!"

Anubis' facedown rose up, and the winds began to howl.

"What's going on?!" CV braced himself against the wind, and watched as the Pyramid walls began to crack.

"He's summoning his greatest beast," said Yami Yugi. "I'm afraid this duel is far from over."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 42: In the Shadow of the Pharaoh! Anubis' Ultimate Assault!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

All at once the Pyramid walls shattered, returning all three participants to the Arcane Academy. At the same time, both Sphinx monsters shattered.

"He killed his own creatures?" CV didn't get it.

"No. He sacrificed them," said Yami. "And now the true battle begins."

The shattered remains of both monsters swirled around, forming a massive chimera-beast that roared in defiance of all that was just.

Thienen the Great Sphinx: 3500/3000

"Oh MAN... Not THAT freak!" Joey bit back a curse. "The last time, he almost creamed all of us!"

"You can beat that thing, right?" asked CV.

"At the moment, no," admitted Yami. "I place one card facedown." He did so, and a holocard appeared. "And I switch my Magician to defense mode. That will do for now."

"Pitiful," said Anubis. "I expected far better from you."

"Okay, I'm a bit lost. What just happened here?" Nat didn't like being out of the loop.

"It's simple," said Hikari. "My dad told me about the Pyramid of Light. It's a unique trap card Anubis created to remove the God Cards from play and summon his strongest creatures... But to summon his toughest, Thienen, he had to wipe them out by annihilating the Pyramid."

"Which is why he used Mystical Space Typhoon," said CV, braced for another attack.

"It looks... like pure evil." Ashes shuddered.

"You're not wrong," admitted Flame Sprite. "In the spirit world, the Sphinx monsters are kept locked away, so they can't hurt anybody. They're terrible creatures bent on destruction."

"And this psycho just let loose the worst one," added Rocket Warrior. "We're in trouble."

Red-Eyes and Hyozanryu growled, glaring at Thienen, ready to lash out at the abomination.

"Steady yourselves," said Flame Swordsman. "He is material while we are not. We can do nothing to help."

"And now, Pharaoh, I shall begin the most enjoyable task of crushing you into dust." Anubis drew. "And thanks to your Eye of Truth, I gain 1000 life points!"

Yugi: 3600

Anubis: 2400

Yugi watched the cards over Anubis' head carefully. Sand Moth. Pyramid Energy. Draining Shield. And now Dark Coffin.

"Make your move," said Yugi. "I'm ready for you."

"Gladly. First, I summon Sand Moth in attack mode!" Another insect creature appeared.

Sand Moth: 1000/2000

"And I'll play the spell Pyramid Energy! This will increase the attack of both my monsters by 200 points."

Thienen: 3700/3000

Sand Moth: 1200/2000

"NOW DESTROY HIS MAGICIAN!" Thienen roared and swung with it's sword, striking through Dark Magician of Chaos and shattering him.

"He's wide open!" exclaimed LazyMan.

"SAND MOTH! Show the Pharaoh the true meaning of pain!" Sand Moth exploded into a cloud of sand and whipped around Yami Yugi, burning his skin with the friction of the harsh desert winds.

Yugi: 2400

Anubis: 2400

"I shall end my turn with a card face down." As a holo card appeared, Draining Shield faded from Yugi's sight.

"YUGI! HANG IN THERE!" Joey called to his old friend. "You can get this guy! Ya did it once, and you can do it again!"

"SILENCE, FOOL!" Anubis rose his arm to attack Joey, but CV moved in the way.

"Not now. Not ever."

"Warrior. Again you interfere with me. It is time you learned your place, whelp."

"Try it," said CV. "You see, you're just a distraction from what's really going on here. Far as I can tell, you're completely irrelevant to the bigger picture. You want me to learn my place? Start by learning your's. Ramesus has probably known about you all along, and he's just using you to wreak more havoc."

"If that is the case, then he shall perish along with the rest of you."

"How generous..." said CV in a bland tone. "But right now, if you so much as LOOK at these people funny, I'm brining you down."

"Novice... DIE!" Anubis, furious, unleashed his rage as killing energy, right at CV.

"MILLENNIUM POWER!" Immediately, CyberV felt an immense surge of power, far stronger than those of the past. Instinctively, he threw the Scepter and Wdjat into the air above him and ripped off his jacket, putting it back on like a cape; the sleeves, with just a flick of his wrist, had tied themselves together. The Scepter came down, and he caught it deftly as his hair rose up. A white streak appeared in the front of his hair. The Millennium Wdjat came down, and CyberV struck it with the Scepter. The Wdjat sunk into the orb at the end of the Scepter, and another wdjat appeared on CyberV's forehead.

"Think again!" CV spun the Scepter, far faster than he had before. As the energy struck, he found himself forced back, but, straining, he refused to fall. As the beam abated, CV breathed heavily, worn out but very much alive. "Today is not my day to die, death god... Can we say the same for you?"

"Woah." Mouse couldn't help but stare at the display of power. "So, THAT'S his true transformation. I'm impressed."

"How could he survive that? Anybody?" Tristan was confused. "Okay, I'm officially giving up trying to understand ANYTHING that happens in my life."

"As the Warrior, the child possesses great power," said Ishizu. "And while he has only scratched the surface of his potential all these months, his determination to protect others is allowing him to tap into the stronger forces within."

"That makes sense," said Nat. "In the past, when he changed, he was faster, stronger, more agile... But now, he can control it. And he's acting like a human shield, protecting us from Anubis."

"And he's protecting Yugi, too," realized Ashes. "He's distracting Anubis!"

"Annoyance always WAS one of his specialties..." muttered Hikari.

"BAH! Enough of this!" Anubis, livid, turned back towards Yami Yugi. "Make your move."

As he said this, Pyramid Energy faded away.

Thienen: 3500/3000

Sand Moth: 1000/2000

"With pleasure," said Yami as he drew. "I summon Blockman in defense mode!" A lego creature appeared, crouching.

Blockman: 1000/1500

"And I'll also play the Swords of Revealing Light!" As the spell card appeared, energy blades appeared around Thienen and Sand Moth. "Now you cannot attack for the next three turns."

"Hiding again? How annoying," said Anubis as he drew. Blasting the Ruins appeared above him. "Feh. A useless card."

"Interesting..." Yugi smirked. Obviously, Anubis was using Jimbo's deck in addition to his own. "And since you have no spells in hand, you gain no life points this turn."

"It avails you nothing," said Anubis. "Two more turns until you face annihilation."

"We'll see about that!" Yugi drew. "I summon Green Gadget in attack mode!" The green robot appeared.

Green Gadget: 1400/600

"And that activates his special ability. You see, when he's summoned successfully, I can add Red Gadget to my hand!" Red Gadget ejected from Yugi's deck, and he deftly snatched it from midair. "NOW ATTACK HIS SAND MOTH!"

Green Gadget's shoulder gears launched, headed towards Sand Moth.

"I don't think so. REVEAL DRAINING SHIELD!" Anubis' face down card rose up, and as the gears neared Sand Moth, they were repelled by an invisible force. "Now I gain life points equal to your monster's attack. You were a fool to attack me when you knew I had that card on the field!"

Yugi: 2400

Anubis: 3800

"Actually," said Yugi, "I did it on purpose. I had to get rid of your shield SOMEHOW..."

Anubis scowled. "Know that when I claim victory, I shall rend your soul as a tiger rips apart it's prey."

"You have to claim it first!" said Yugi. "Go on. See if you can."

"I shall!" Anubis drew. "And before you can see what it is, I shall place it facedown." A holocard appeared.

"Has to be a trap," said Nat. "His life points didn't go up."

"Now I shall switch my Moth to defense mode." The Sand Moth knelt down.

"My move," said Yugi. He drew. "I play Graceful Charity! Now I draw three cards, and then discard two!" He did so.

"One card facedown, and that will do." A holocard appeared.

"Do you expect to defeat me with toys?" asked Anubis. "Building blocks and little wind up dolls cannot hope to match my power." He drew, and his life points increased.

Yugi: 2400

Anubis: 4800

"I know what you plan to do, Pharaoh. Use the power of your toys to summon one of your God Cards. That is something I cannot, shall not allow! Thus, I play the spell Lightning Vortex! I discard this useless trap..." Blasting the Ruins vanished. "And all of your creatures DIE!" Lightning shot out, striking Green Gadget and Blockman, shattering them.

"NO!" Yugi braced himself against the shockwave of the explosions.

"Yes," said Anubis. "Soon, very soon, you shall be naught but dust beneath my heel."

"I'm not finished yet!" Yugi glared at Anubis. "For Tea, I swear I'm going to bring you down, monster."

"I'd like to see you try," said Anubis. "Especially now that your Swords are gone." The Swords of Light faded away. "And now that I shall have two more cards in my hand, thanks to Reckless Greed!" The trap card rose up, and Anubis drew two cards. "Now I have my next two draw phases early." Sakuretsu Armor and Fissure appeared above. Anubis quickly set Sakuretsu Armor facedown.

"Last turn, Pharaoh. Prepare to die."

"Perhaps, and perhaps not," said Yugi as he drew. "You see, Anubis, you've fallen right into my trap. I knew full well that you would attempt to destroy all my monsters, and so I allowed you to do so... All to distract you from my facedown cards! I reveal Change of Heart!" The card rose up.

"You know that Thienen will obey only his true master, Pharaoh. Claiming him is useless to you."

"Who said anything about Thienen?" asked Yugi. "SAND MOTH! Come to me!" Sand Moth turned into sand and flowed to Yugi's side of the field.

"A worthless creature," said Anubis. "He's no match for Thienen."

"He won't need to be," said Yugi. "Reveal trap! Magical Hats!" Yugi's deck glowed as two cards ejected from it and fell onto his Disk. On the field, three top hats appeared, one over Sand Moth, the others over the cards that laid themselves out.

"What is this foolishness?!"

"It's simple," said Yami. "Magical Hats allows me to select two spells or traps from my deck and summon them to the field as defense monsters."

Defense 1: 0/0

Defense 2: 0/0

"But that means..." Anubis, startled, stepped back.

"YES!" Hikari grinned.

"It means you're going down," said CV.

"Now I shall sacrifice all three of my monsters!" Again, the wind howled as the three hats shattered, taking Change of Heart with it. "And summon my mighty beast! COME FORTH AND SERVE THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE... WINGED DRAGON OF RA!" A blinding golden light filled the corridor as a glowing sphere appeared in the air. Then, the sphere opened slowly, and from it emerged the mightiest of the Egyptian Gods... The Winged Dragon of Ra!

Winged Dragon of Ra: 1000/2000

"You may have your God," said Anubis, "but I can still defeat it!"

"I doubt it," muttered Mouse.

"Now it's time you paid for your evil deeds," said Yugi. "I pay 1000 of my life points to transform Ra to his most powerful form!" Ra ignited, becoming a massive firebird. "PHOENIX MODE! DESTROY THIENEN!"

Yugi: 1400

Anubis: 4800

Ra flew forward. Thienen rushed to meet it, grabbing the massive God and fighting against it.

"Crush it, my great beast! Prove your strength against the Gods themselves!" Anubis laughed as it seemed for a moment that Thienen would do just that... Until the creature's flesh began to boil and it's fur began to burn.

"NO!"

"Yes." Yugi smirked as Thienen exploded into dust. Ra returned to normal and flew to Yugi's side.

"And now you're wide open," said Yugi. "So I'll pay all but one of my life points to give Ra a boost."

Yugi: 1

Anubis: 4800

Winged Dragon of Ra: 2399/2000

"STRIKE WITH THE FURY OF THE GODS!" Winged Dragon of Ra let loose with a massive energy blast that struck Anubis head on. Sakuretsu Armor immediately activated, but the armor shattered under the onslaught instantly. Anubis took the blast, refusing to flinch or cry out. As it ended, he stayed on his feet, smouldering, but far from finished.

Yugi: 1

Anubis: 2401

"For all your big talk, I am still here," he said. "And I shall annihilate you."

"I don't see how," said Yugi. "You cannot draw a card on your next turn, Fissure is useless against Ra, and you're out of monsters. True, you'll gain a thousand life points on your turn, but that's just forestalling the inevitable. It's over, and you've lost."

"I refuse to accept that!" Anubis roared. "I am Anubis, the God of Death itself! I shall not be defeated twice by the likes of you!"

"Then take your final turn," said Yugi. "And know that what happens now, you've brought down upon your own head."

Yugi: 1

Anubis: 3401

Anubis didn't move.

"Very well," said Yugi as he drew. "Back when I played Graceful Charity, I sent my Kuriboh to the graveyard! Now, I remove him and Watapon from play to summon the mighty Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning!" The mighty knight appeared on the field, brandishing his sword.

Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning: 3000/2500

"ATTACK ANUBIS DIRECTLY!" Black Luster Soldier lashed out with his blade, striking Anubis head on.

Yugi: 1

Anubis: 401

"This... This is not possible..." Anubis began to shift as his flesh turned black.

"He's goin' monster on us again!" shouted Joey.

Indeed, Anubis continued to transform, becoming a gigantic jackal of black tar. He roared in fury and rage, determined, even in defeat, to kill his enemy. He lunged for Yugi.

"DIE, PHARAOH!"

"WINGED DRAGON OF RA!" shouted Yugi. "FINISH THIS MONSTER once and for all!" Ra quickly move between Anubis and Yugi and grabbed the tar-jackal with it's claws.

"NO! IT CANNOT BE!"

"Burn." said Yugi as Ra opened it's mouth wide, and unleashed a torrent of flames that cooked the tar solid, even as the God's own strength shattered it.

Dying, Anubis turned to glare at CV. "You did this to me... You returned the Pharaoh..."

"Technically, Ishizu did that..."

The others glared at him. He shrugged. "I'm just saying..."

"Know, Warrior, that though I perish this day, I curse you. One day, when you least expect it, my power shall come to claim you as my final victim... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" The jackal exploded brilliantly, and Ra and the Soldier faded away. The pendant made of the Pyramid of Light landed at Yugi's feet.

Yugi: 1

Anubis: 0

"For you, Tea..." He glanced at the image Anubis had created of Tea and the students, crucified on floating crosses. It was fading now. "We'll get you back, I promise. All of you."

"We have to..." whispered Ashes. The image faded away entirely.

"Glad that's over," muttered Tristan.

"Who said it was over?!" demanded a voice they'd forgotten about. Turning as one, they saw Jimbo, back on his feet, reclaiming his cards. "It's not over until I wipe the floor with you!" He thrust his finger towards CV, who sighed.

"Of course."

* * *

"Hmmm..." Ramesus grinned. "It seems a great evil has passed on. A pity. Anubis was a useful pawn."

Confused, both McMike and Poison gave Ramesus an odd look.

"Anubis? God of death Anubis?" McMike was having some trouble grasping that one.

"Yes. Seems he'd been living inside Jimbo for months."

"...Okay..." Poison didn't even want to think about it. "Well, that explains a lot. Like why he stopped flinching when I went BZZT."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose it does..." Ramesus couldn't disguise the annoyance in his tone of voice. "In Any case, Anubis is gone, so the time has come to thin the herd. McMike, take Kuno and find Void. It's time you settled things with him once and for all."

"You've got it," said McMike as he turned to leave.

"What about me?" Poison silently cursed. 'Blast it, the longer I'm stuck here with Ramesus, the more danger Hikari's in!'

"Oh," said Ramesus, "I have something special planned for you..."

Poison didn't like the sound of that. Not at all.

* * *

Ami ducked as the Winged Minion flew through where her head had been just a second earlier. Despite their best efforts, she and Rex, along with Magyk and StrongMan, had gotten separated from the others. Now they were in a desperate battle with the Winged Minion just to stay in the battle.

She winced as her Mother Grizzly shattered, and turned to see that Rex's Gearfried the Swordsmaster was being overwhelmed as well.

"This is bad. Really, REALLY bad..." muttered Magyk as his Dark Magician shattered several Minion. "We can't keep this up!"

"We have to," said StrongMan as he summoned Master Kyonshee, who immediately leapt into the fray to protect the Duelists. "The longer we fight, the better the odds are that someone will survive this disaster!"

"So basically, don't give up?" Magyk prepared to summon another spellcaster.

"But what's the fun in that?" They turned, shocked at the sound of a feminine voice, just in time to see blue-skinned versions of Dark Magician Girl ambush the Dark Magician. The mage shattered, revealing Bubble, Toil, and Trouble. Bubble had been the one to speak, and she was grinning like the cat that had swallowed the canary.

"Oh, great..." Rex glared. "Just what we needed. More problems."

"Oh poo. It seems we're not appreciated," sighed Toil.

"Then perhaps we should leave, sisters," said Trouble. "But not alone..." She snapped her fingers, and the three evil Dark Magician Girls flew in, grabbing Magyk.

"HEY! LET GO OF ME!" He struggled, but the three monsters combined were stronger than he was.

"PUT HIM DOWN!" Ami reached for her deck to summon a monster to save Magyk, but a Minion grabbed her wrist. "EEEEEEE!!!" She shrieked in terror and tried shaking off the creature.

"AMI!" Rex leapt to her side, tearing the monster from her arm and slamming it to the floor. Not hesitating, he look her into his arms. "Ami, are you okay?"

"I... I think so... I... MAGYK!" She turned, but Magyk was already gone from sight, along with the Brew Sisters.

"They took him!" shouted StrongMan as Kyonshee shattered. "And these things are about to take us!" Indeed, the Minion were surrounding them now on all sides. They leapt forward...

Only to vaporize as bolts of lightning struck them.

"Sorry we're late," said Ikke, holding up his Raigeki card. "Had to clear a couple hallways." By his side, Allis saw StrongMan and almost cringed, remember the pact she'd been forced into to save him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hesitantly.

"We're fine," said StrongMan. "But the Brews took Magyk."

"He's probably gone by now," said Rex. "We should try to meet up with the main group. We're not accomplishing anything split up like this."

"Agreed," said Ikke. "Follow me." Without another word, he began walking towards the Good Duelists staging area. Allis and StrongMan followed closely. As Rex began to follow, Ami took his hand.

"Thanks," she said. "For saving me, I mean."

"You're my best friend," said Rex. "I'd do anything for you. If these things want you, they've gotta go through me first."

Ami couldn't believe that this was the same Rex she'd dueled alongside all those years. She'd never seen him so focused and determined before.

"Now come on. We're not safe here."

"R-Right!" Gathering her wits, they moved to rejoin the others.

* * *

"Give it up, Jimbo," said CV. "You're surrounded by duelists that obviously have more talent and brains than you. There's no need to continue this. Just surrender already."

"Not a chance," growled Jimbo. "I still owe you for the water bottle stunt!"

CV sweatdropped. "That was MONTHS AGO. Let it go already."

"Months? It was six weeks!"

"...He doesn't remember anything..." Ashes was surprised. "He's been possessed all this time... and he doesn't remember Any of it!"

Jimbo looked at the Scepter. "I don't even care that you have THAT. And you wanna know why?"

"Not particularly," said CV.

"Ditto," said Hikari.

"Agreed," added Nat.

"I don't care, because I possess a power that exceeds your's by five thousand years!"

Yugi's eyes widened as Jimbo's duel disk extended, becoming a wicked blade.

"GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" he shouted.

"Too late." said Jimbo as the field slot opened. "Prepare to suffer for all eternity!" He slammed a card into the slot, and everything began to glow green.

"KID!" Joey moved to pull CV away, but a suddenly appearing circle of light appeared around Jimbo and quickly enveloped the Warrior. As Joey reached the threshold, he found himself pushed backwards. Even Red-Eyes, Rocket Warrior, and Hyozanryu found themselves unable to pass through the mysterious barrier.

CyberV watched as a symbol appeared on Jimbo's forehead.

"Face the power of the Seal of Oricalcos!"

"But I thought the Seal was gone!" exclaimed Tristan.

"It was a gift from my father," said Jimbo. "And I'll use it to get even with you! You made me lose face, you lousy little nobody!"

"Have you looked at your face? I did you a favor."

Jimbo growled.

"Touchy..."

"The Sel is in place. Now only the victor of a duel can leave the circle... and the loser's soul will be forever sealed inside my Oricalcos card."

"You should DEFINITELY have gone for drama club..." muttered CV as he extended his disk to play mode. He drew five cards. "Because you're SUCH a prissy little prima donna right now... IT'S DUELIN' TIME!"

CyberV: 8000

Jimbo: 8000

"I'll continue my turn by summoning Mystic Swordsman LV4 in defense mode!" The Swordsman appeared and, surprisingly, turned to face Jimbo.

Mystic Swordsman LV4: 1900/1600

"Jimbo. At last, you have awakened. I had feared that Anubis had consumed you utterly."

"It talks?" Mouse was confused.

"It's a duel spirit," said Ashes. "He's had a spirit all this time!"

"Yes, I'm back," said Jimbo. "Now help me destroy my enemy!"

"But this is wrong, Jimbo. Years ago, I did all in my power to spare you from the path of darkness... Why do you embrace it? It destroyed your father!"

"Yes, and I'll always be grateful for that. Now be silent and feel the power of Oricalcos!"

"NOOOOOO!!!" Green energy enveloped Mystic Swordsman, and his eyes glowed red, even as the seal appeared on his forehead.

Mystic Swordsman LV4: 2400/1600

"You'd do that to your own spirit?" CyberV was disgusted. "You're sicker than I thought."

"And I'm not done! I play Last Will!" The card rose up. "Now, if I lose a monster during this turn, I can summon another from my deck to the field! And I will by playing Level Up!" A second spell appeared. "Now I can sacrifice my Mystic Swordsman LV4 to summon Mystic Swordsman LV6!"

Mystic Swordsman glowed and changed to his stronger form, but the possessed look remained.

Mystic Swordsman LV6: 2800/1700

"And now Last Will activates, allowing me to summon Mystic Swordsman LV2!" A smaller Swordsman appeared, eyes and seal glowing.

Mystic Swordsman LV2: 1400/0

"Then I'll play Level Modulation!" The spell rose up. "Here's how it works. It allows me to resummon my sacrificed Mystic Swordsman LV4 to the field!"

Mystic Swordsman LV4 reappeared.

Mystic Swordsman LV4: 2400/1600

"But you get to draw two cards. And man, you're gonna need them."

"The Seal makes his monsters stronger," noted Nat. "That's not good."

"It gets worse," said Yami Yugi. "He can also use his spell zones as monster zones. He could have up to ten monsters at a single time."

"Oh no..." Nat clenched her fists.

CV drew two cards. "Fine. My turn!" He drew another. "Time to unload some of these extra cards! But first, I'll play Pot of Greed!" The Pot appeared. "This lets me draw yet again!" He drew two cards. "And now I play Painful Choice!" Painful Choice appeared on the field. "This card lets me select five cards from my deck. Now, you pick one of the five, and I keep it. The others go to the graveyard."

The five V-Z Vehicles appeared.

"Then take W-Wing Catapult," said Jimbo. The other cards shattered, and W-Wing shrunk, going to CV's hand.

"Next, I'll place four cards facedown." Four holocards appeared. "And then play Graceful Charity." It began to rain. "It lets me draw three cards, but I have to discard two from my hand to the graveyard." He did so.

"Oh come ON! You gonna draw cards all day or what?!"

"Impatient, Jimbo? Fine. One monster facedown and that ends my turn." A monster card appeared on the field.

"About time," said Jimbo as he drew. "And I play another Level Up! Now my LV2 becomes LV4!" LV2 shifted forms, becoming a twin of the counterpart on his left.

Mystic Swordsman LV4 #2: 2400/1600

"Now the fun part! My Mystic Swordsmen all have a special ability! They can destroy facedown monsters without flipping them or applying the damage calculation! So GO, LV4! ANNIHILATE HIS DEFENSE MONSTER!" One of the LV4s nodded and leapt forward, slashing the card in half. Magician of Faith appeared, screaming, before she shattered.

"Sorry, no bonus magic card for you," said Jimbo. "Now attack him directly, my monsters!" The remaining two Swordsmen brandished their swords and charged, slashing at CV viciously. Feeling agony from the sword strikes, CV fell to one knee.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 8000

"Next round, I finish it," said Jimbo. "But for now, I'm content to watch as the LV4 that destroyed your Magician evolves." Indeed, the victorious monster was shifting shape, becoming just as powerful as it's counterpart on the field.

Mystic Swordsman LV6 #2: 2800/1700

"So go. Make your final move."

"Happily!" CV drew. "First, I'll play Soul Release! That removes all five of my Vehicles from play!" The spell appeared and faded away.

"They can't help you now," said Jimbo. "So why bother?"

"Because they're a key to my victory!" CV tapped a stud on his Disk. "REVEAL TRAP CARDS! CYBER SUMMON BLASTER... TIMES TWO!" Two trap cards rose up, revealing twin Cyber Summon Blasters.

"You see, these machines here deal our 300 damage each every time a machine is special summoned... Like what happens when I reveal Return from the Different Dimension!" His third facedown card rose up, and a portal appeared in the sky.

"COMBAT VEHICLES... MOBILIZE!" As CV said this, the five V-Z Vehicles appeared on the field, each ready for battle.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300

"And now the Blasters go to work!" The two weapons let loose with powerful energy blasts which nailed Jimbo for 1500 each.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 5000

"And now... COMBINE!" The Machines flew into the air. X, Y, and Z quickly stacked atop each other, while V and W did the same.

"Formation: VW-Tiger Catapult and XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

VW-Tiger Catapult: 2000/2100

XYZ-Dragon Cannon: 2800/2600

"And with great mecha comes greater damage from the Cyber Summon Blasters!" Each Blaster unleashed another 600 damage to Jimbo, who staggered backwards from the impacts.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 3800

"It's... Not enough!"

"Not YET." CV smirked. "You made a BIG mistake Jimbo. You turned on your Spirit, and you chose the wrong side. MEGAZORD FORMATION! VW split into three components as XYZ turned into a torso and arms. W became legs while V became the head of a massively impressive mecha.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800

"And now the Blasters..." Another pair of blasts struck Jimbo, knocking him onto his butt.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 3200

"I'm still standing!" said Jimbo as he struggled to his feet. "Your robot may be the strongest monster on the field, but I can still demolish you!"

"I'm not done," said CV. "I reveal DNA Surgery!" His final facedown rose up. "This trap seals your doom, Jimbo. For now, I can turn all monsters summoned into whatever I want... like more Machines!" As he said it, the three Swordsmen began to transform, becoming robotic in appearance.

"A useless move," said Jimbo.

"You'd think... But look at the field. Your monsters outnumber mine three to one. And THAT means I can special summon my Fiend Megacyber in defense mode!" Fiend Megacyber appeared, but as a mechanoid version of itself, crouching.

Fiend Megacyber: 2200/1200

The blasters let loose again, shooting Jimbo right in the kisser.

"I guess I shoulda told you to duck..." CV shrugged.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 2600

"And after all that," said CV, "I still have my normal summon. And I choose my Red-Eyes Black Chick!" The small dragon appeared, but cyberized. Jimbo braced himself for another blast, but it didn't come.

Red-Eyes Black Chick: 800/500

"Normal summon, idiot," sighed CV. "But THIS isn't! I use his special ability to summon my good buddy, RED-EYES BLACK DRAGON!" Outside the Seal, Red-Eyes faded away, only to reappear by CV's side as the Chick faded away. Red-Eyes immediately transformed into a robotic version of itself.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: 2400/2000

The blasters let loose again, catching Jimbo off guard.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 2000

"And now I'll sacrifice Red-Eyes to special summon Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!" Red-Eyes burst into flame as a mechanical verison of it's ultimate form materialized.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 2400/2000

"And he gains 300 attack for each dragon in my graveyard... And there's two, for a grand total of 3000 attack points!"

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon: 3000/2000

The blasters fired yet again, but this time, Jimbo wisely ducked.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 1400

"RED-EYES! CATAPULT! DESTROY HIS LEVEL SIX SWORDSMEN! JUSTICE BLAST! INFERNO MAGMA BLAST!" The two mighty monsters let loose, and both Swordsmen shattered completely under the intense onslaught.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 1000

"I hope you have a plan," said CV. "Because from where I'm standing, you're fresh out of luck."

Undaunted, Jimbo drew a card. "Blast me, mock me, scorn me all you like... I won't be denied my revenge!" He looked at his hand. "I play the Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension!" Headstones appeared in the sky. "Now I can bring two LV monsters back to my hand!" Two cards appeared in his hand before the headstones faded away.

"And then I play Heavy Storm to destroy all your spells and traps!" The card rose up, and a flood washed away the Blasters, which exploded. Fiend Megacyber, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, and Mystic Swordsman LV4 returned to normal.

"Then I summon Mystic Swordsman LV2 in defense mode!" The small Swordsman materialized, kneeling.

Mystic Swordsman LV2: 1400/0

"Finally, Fissure will destroy Fiend MegaCyber!" The Fissure card appeared, and the ground opened up underneath Fiend Megacyber, swallowing him whole.

"I can't destroy you this turn," said Jimbo, "But I will, and soon. But for now, my other Swordsman switches to defense!" The Swordsman crouched.

"And that's the last turn you'll ever play," said CV. "Jimbo, I'm sorry to say that the duel is over." He drew. "And by playing the Seal of Oricalcos, you've written your own fate in the stars themselves." He sighed, sadly. "For what it's worth, you put up a good fight. But now, I activate the special abilities of my Dragon Catapult Cannon! First, he removes your Mystic Swordsman LV4 from play!" The mecha reached down and grabbed the crouching Swordsman and, comically, flung him away like a ragdoll.

"And now, the final move... I'm declaring an attack on your remaining Swordsman... and using the second ability of the Catapult to switch him to attack mode." As CV said this, the Swordsman stood tall, brandishing his sword.

"Normally, I'd count off the reasons why my enemy deserves to go down... But knowing what's about to happen... No one deserves that." He paused. "Do it."

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon let loose with a massive blast of energy, vaporizing the Mystic Swordsman utterly.

CyberV: 2800

Jimbo: 0

The Seal immediately began to shrink, and CV quickly found himself outside of it as it surrounded Jimbo completely.

"NO! NO! IT CAN'T END THIS WAY! I WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP RAMESUS RULE THE WORLD! I WAS SUPPOSED TO WIN!"

Mystic Swordsman appeared next to Jimbo. "I... am sorry, Jimbo. In the end, I could not save you... But know that I shall forever watch over you. Such is my penance for failing in my duty as your guardian... Farewell..." The Mystic Swordsman faded away as the Seal finished it's work. Jimbo fell to his knees, staring straight up without blinking.

"Supposed... to win..."

His disk ejected the Seal of Oricalcos, and his face materialized upon it. Jimbo's body fell forward, hitting the floor with a sickening smack.

"It's done," said CV, turning away from Jimbo's soulless body.

He sighed, disappointed in his inability to save the fool. Slowly, he changed back to normal, noting that Yugi was doing the same.

'He did well,' noted Atem. 'He survived an Oricalcos duel. I must admit, I'm impressed.'

'Yes,' responded Yugi, silently. 'But that was just a battle. I'm afraid the war will go on. I just hope he's up to it.'

'He will be,' said Atem, confident as ever.

Nat walked up to CV, who was obviously disturbed by the duel's outcome.

"Are you okay?"

"No. No, I'm not," he said, livid. "He could have lived, Nat. He could have survived this madness, and he threw it all away because of a petty grudge. He could have lived... if I'd just managed to end the duel in a tie. But I was so sick of Ramesus and his cronies that I went all out without thinking. If I'd held back a little..."

"Then YOU might be the one on that card," said Nat. "You did what you had to do."

"Maybe... But I doubt I'll ever believe that."

Ashes watched them from the sidelines with Hikari.

"How are you holding up?" asked Hikari. "I mean, seeing Jay like that..."

"I... I don't know. I'm glad he's still alive, but..."

"But you miss him."

"Yeah... and I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself when he and the others need our help." Ashes felt a new resolve, one she hadn't expected to feel.

"Good work, buddy," said CV to Red-Eyes as Ashes walked over to see him.

"Hey... C... AARON..." she said, using his real name.

"Ashes?" He was confused. Almost no one used his real name. Heck, most people thought CV WAS his real name.

"I need you to do me a favor."

CV nodded. "Anything."

"Send me to the Shadow Realm."

"Anything except that," said CV, turning away. Ashes grabbed his arm.

"I mean it! Jay and the others need help! If we can free them, we can fight Ramesus on two fronts instead of one!"

"And if I send you there, you might never come back."

"I'm willing to risk it."

"I'm not."

"Is it because you're trying to protect me as a friend, or because you used to have a crush on me?"

CV blinked. "You... You knew about that?"

"Please. EVERYONE knew about that. Why'd you think Jay and I tried to set you up with Nat?"

"HEY! I'm right here, you know!" Nat sweatdropped. "Oh, Never mind..."

Ashes refused to let go of CV's arm. "I need to do this... For everyone's sake. Please... Please, let me try."

Slowly, CV turned to face her. Slowly, she let go.

"...You'll... need this." He held out a deck. "It's Jay's. If you can free him, you'll need his help to survive and release the others."

Ashes felt tears welling up in her eyes. "THANK YOU!" She spontaneously hugged him as hard as she could.

Just at that moment, Ikke's group arrived.

"I'm assuming we missed a show," he said, drolly.

"You could say that," said LazyMan. "And it's high time we put an end to this madness."

Ami ignored the posturing. Her eyes were focused entirely on the embrace between CV and Ashes.

"...no..."

Ashes let go of CV, blushing. "I'm sorry. I..."

"Don't apologize," said CV. He took her wrist and focused. A band of golden energy appeared around her wrist. "I'm a bit of a novice, but this should act as a homing beacon. With it, you should be able to find your way back to us. And you'd better come back."

She nodded. "Count on it." She knelt down and picked up the Disk of one of the fallen students as CV slashed the air in front of them with the Scepter. Slowly, a tear in reality formed.

"Find him... And stay safe," said CV.

"I will. No goodbyes."

"No goodbyes." Without further hesitation, Ashes stepped through the portal, Flame Sprite following dutifully behind.

"You'd better come back!" shouted Rocket Warrior.

"Like you could make it through the day without me," she joked.

The portal faded away as she finished. Silence filled the hall, despite the chaos surrounding them.

"No goodbyes," said CV once more. "Now let's go save the world."

* * *

"So," demanded Poison, "What's this big job you have for me?"

"Oh, nothing too demanding," admitted Ramesus. He snapped his fingers, and the Brew Sisters stepped from the shadows. They were carrying a barely conscious Magyk. They dumped him at Poison's feet unceremoniously.

"Your job is to eliminate your greatest rival, once and for all," said Ramesus. "Duel him in a shadow game." He chuckled. "And curse him to eternal darkness for all reality..."

Poison watched Magyk stir, and he had a sick feeling in his gut that this time, there was nothing he could do... It was obvious... It was obey... or die.

"May the best spellcaster win," said Ramesus, his laughter filling the corridors and turning Poison's blood cold...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Spellcaster Rematch! The Reluctant Shadow Game!


	43. The Reluctant Shadow Game!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: As the war raged on, Yugi found himself reunited with the Millennium Puzzle and Atem, and, together, they defeated Anubis once and for all. Jimbo, finally free of Anubis, immediately attempted to get revenge on CyberV by using the Seal of Oricalcos, but failed in the attempt and lost his soul to the card. In the aftermath, Ashes, prompted by the view of Jay Anubis had created, asked CV to send her to the Shadow Realm in an attempt to rescue the captured students. Reluctantly, he agreed, and Ami arrived just in time to misinterpret a hug they shared. Allis remained tortured by the knowledge that she was being forced to betray her friends in order to save StrongMan. Meanwhile, Magyk was captured by the Brew Sisters and taken to Ramesus, who ordered Poison to eliminate his rival, once and for all...

* * *

Magyk groaned as consciousness returned to him at an agonizingly slow rate. The last thing he remembered was fighting alongside the others and then...

His eyes snapped open, but his friends were nowhere in sight. He was alone.

No, not alone.

He narrowed his eyes. He was in one of the dueling arenas; If he had to guess, it was the already infamous Arena 3, where Jay had fallen.

"It's about time you woke up." Pulling himself up, Magyk turned towards the sound of the voice. In the stands, Ramesus stood, his arms crossed, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "I was beginning to think that the Brew Sisters were too rough on you."

The Brews. Of course. Even now, he could see them... Bubble, Toil, and Trouble, watching anxiously for the entertainment to begin.

And if they were here, that meant his opponent could be only one person.

"Poison."

"Got it in one," said Poison from behind Magyk as the good duelist finally stood up.

"What's this about?"

"Isn't it obvious? The head honcho wants to see us go at it full on, no holds barred."

"Oh, there's more to it than that," said Ramesus. "I want to watch you suffer and squirm before Poison puts you out of your misery." He chuckled, and Magyk growled. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Poison grimace, just slightly, as well. He put it out of his mind just as quickly. Poison was just as much of a sociopathic monster as Ramesus.

"Welcome, Magyk," continued Ramesus. "To the last duel you'll ever play!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 43: Spellcaster Rematch! The Reluctant Shadow Game!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Necrofear, and Kasil

* * *

"A bit presumptuous, don't you think?" asked Magyk. "Last I checked, Poison and I were evenly matched."

"Perhaps, but look at it from my perspective." Ramesus grinned nastily. "Poison now has the power of shadow. Because of this, he possesses true magical powers far beyond the imaginations of man. He can chill your soul until it becomes nothing but ICE... And then crush it under his heel.

"In addition, even if you did defeat him, you'd still have to get past the Brew Sisters, my army of Winged Minion... And me. You're already finished. You're just too stubborn to accept it." He chuckled. "And that's my favorite part of this entire scenario. Watching you struggle in futility, striving against the inevitable. You are the mouse to my cat, and there is no escape."

'He doesn't even care if I win or lose!' realized Poison. 'This is just a sideshow to him! I'm nothing but a distraction from the battle! That lousy...'

"What's the point then?" asked Magyk. "Why not just finish me off?"

"Oh, I have my reasons," said Ramesus. "But they are my own. No concern of your's, that's for certain."

"Reasons?" Magyk was confused by that response. Poison, however, suddenly felt like he'd swallowed a rock.

'There's only one reason why he'd be doing something like this... He's testing me. With Jimbo and Greekman gone, I'm the highest ranked member of the Evil Duelists, the default second in command! He's making sure he can trust me... Seeing if I'd willingly banish an ally of Hikari's!'

He growled, softly. 'To make someone choose between their heart's desire and their own life is unforgivable!'

"Is something the matter, Poison?" Ramesus continued to grin that blasted knowing grin.

"No. Nothing at all. In fact, I'm just disappointed you made me wait so long."

"I'm pleased to hear you say that," said Ramesus. "But I'm afraid that your final match with Magyk will need to wait a few moments more."

Poison was confused. "What is it now?"

"Oh, I just have some other business to quickly attend to." He snapped his fingers, and a Winged Minion appeared.

Magyk instinctively braced himself for an attack, but he needn't have bothered.

"Minion, I have a task for you."

The creature nodded in obedience.

"Find Allis. Tell her to find Hikari and bring her to my private duel arena."

Magyk's eyes went wide. "No... No, it can't be."

"Oh, it is," said Ramesus. "Meek little Allis is MINE. She's BEEN mine for months now, feeding me information... And helping me doom your pitiful friend Jay to the darkness for all eternity." He paused, enjoying the lie on his lips. "And all to save herself from sharing the fate the rest of you will experience."

"That can't be true! Allis is my friend! She'd never do that to me or the others!"

"Oh, but she did. Her injuries yesterday? A fabrication, all designed to keep the Warrior away from this Arena. All designed to prevent him from saving his best friend. True, it's a pity the loss didn't break his spirit permanently, but what is done is done..." He shrugged, and turned to the Minion. "Go."

The creature faded away.

"And now for my second piece of business." The air around Ramesus rippled as, slowly, Ryu Kokki emerged from darkness, taking form before his master.

"I was wondering where you were keeping that thing," muttered Poison.

"Is that a... duel spirit?" Magyk was confused. He knew some of the others had spirits, but he'd never seen one before, unless it was summoned in a duel.

"Ah, so you can see him. Excellent. That means he's finally strong enough for the task at hand. You see, I haven't just been banishing students to increase my own power... I've also been channeling it into Ryu Kokki here, making him more powerful than ever before."

"How powerful?"

"Powerful enough," said Ryu Kokki, "to annihilate this entire Academy and all who dwell within it's walls. Powerful enough... to bring about the endgame of this little drama." He began to fade away. "And finally powerful enough to enjoy some long overdue REVENGE..." He vanished, just like the Minion.

"Well, that can't be good..."

"No, it really can't..." muttered Poison, agreeing completely. He silently cursed. Ryu Kokki was on the loose and he had no way to get out of this duel and get to Hikari!

'No choice... If I'm gonna stop Allis from luring her into a trap, I've got to beat Magyk and banish him to the Shadow Realm... But if I do that, she'll never forgive me... ARGH! I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place!'

"You can begin at Any time, gentlemen," said Ramesus. "And I would suggest it be sooner rather than later, seeing as I have a very important engagement to get to in about two hours."

"Guess there's no choice..." Magyk extended his disk to play mode.

"None at all," agreed Poison as his own disk extended.

"DUEL!"

Magyk: 8000

Poison: 8000

* * *

"FUHMA SHURIKEN! GO!" Void called out the attack as Getsu Fuhma finished off the latest batch of Winged Minion.

"Is that all of them?" asked Tapkar.

"For now. Come on. We're already running late. We've probably already missed all the action."

"I can live with that," muttered Tapkar as they raced through the halls in heed of the summons that had gone out over the comlinks. They arrived in time to see Hikari poking a prone Jimbo with a convenient broom handle.

"Maybe we should consider trussing him up like a puppet..."

Void and Tapkar sweatdropped.

"Yep. We missed it."

"Hikari," said Joey in an admonishing tone. "That's no way ta treat the guy... He strikes me as more of a doorstop."

Tristan sighed. "Would you two PLEASE cut it out? We've got a situation here!"

"Tristan is correct," said Ishizu. "True, most of Ramesus' followers have fallen, but the threat remains strong."

"And they have our friends... And Tea," added LazyMan. "So where do we stand?"

"We know that our numbers are dwindling, mostly because of the Winged Minion," said Nat.

"Then there's Magyk," said StrongMan. "The Brew Sisters took him for some reason."

"And Ashes went to the Shadow Realm to find Jay and the others," said CyberV, already regretting the decision to let her go. "We're getting pretty thin here."

"But there's good news too, right?" asked Joey. "I mean, you've got the Scepter, and Yugi's got the Puzzle again! With the Pharaoh on our side, how can we fail?"

"It's not that simple," said Yugi. "It's been years since Atem and I were united, and the connection isn't what it was. During the duel against Anubis, we both felt something... It's difficult for us to maintain the link... The longer we use it, the more exhausted we both become... Too long, and neither of us will be of Any use in this battle."

"Wait..." Tapkar was confused. "Ashes went to the Shadow Realm?"

"Yes," said Nat. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. It takes guts to do something like that for someone you care about."

Allis looked at Ikke. "If.. If I was the one that was gone... Would you...?"

"In a heartbeat," said Ikke.

Allis blushed. She silently cursed her own stupidity.

'Why didn't I ask Ramesus to spare Ikke when I had the chance?!'

"Are you worried about her?" asked Ami as she placed a hand on CV's shoulder.

"Yeah, I am. One wrong move, and she'll be in worse danger than Jay and the others. Sending her there... It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And I'm still tempted to go after her."

"I... understand," said Ami, pulling her hand away. 'How could I hope to compete with her anyway?'

"I pray you never do understand," said CV.

"Amazing..." Tapkar clenched his fists. "Jay stood up for me... Ashes is risking her life to find him... And I'm just standing here, trembling in my boots like a coward."

"Not everyone can be a hero," said Mouse. "And it's fine to be scared. Most of us are."

"I'm not!" said Hikari, perversely raising her hand.

Nat sweatdropped. "Not. Helping."

"Neither is sitting here and talking while the student body is vanishing all around us," said Void. "We need a plan."

CV moved his head slightly. "Plan's gonna have to wait... INCOMING!"

And as he said that, a new wave of Minion rushed towards them...

* * *

Just outside the Academy walls, Ryu Kokki appeared, grinning ear to ear. His eyes glowed blood-red as dark clouds slowly began to form...

* * *

Magyk: 8000

Poison: 8000

"I may not be getting out of here," said Magyk, "but I'm sure gonna take out as many of you as I can first! Haven't you ever heard that a cornered animal is the most dangerous of all?"

"Yes," said Ramesus, "I have. But you see, the cornered animals usually get put down in the end. I've always found that most reassuring, yes..."

"We'll see who winds up put down!" Magyk drew. "I'll open this match by summoning the Skilled Dark Magician!" The mysterious mage appeared, wand at the ready.

Skilled Dark Magician: 1900/1700

"And I'll add one facedown for later." The holocard appeared, directly behind the Magician. "That ends my turn."

"Opening up strong, huh?" asked Poison. "It's a nice change of pace!" Poison drew.

'But all the same,' he thought silently, 'I need to drag this out as long as I can... If I can end it without either of us getting banished, together, we might be able to stop this insanity. But that's the problem... He doesn't KNOW I've been wearing a white hat lately. Blast it... How can I get it across to him that I'm not the enemy anymore, without Ramesus figuring it out, too?'

Livid, he looked at his hand.

'Gotta defend for now, and hope I can figure something out before it's too late!'

"One monster facedown, and something for later as well." Two holocards appeared. "That's all."

"No theatrics? No gloating? That's not like you, Poison. What's wrong? Losing your touch? Your flair for the dramatic?"

"No point using it on a dead man," said Poison. "Far as I can tell, you won't exactly be around to write up the review."

"I can give you a review right now... 'Poison's opening was as weak as they come!'" He drew. "'Meanwhile, his dashing challenger outclassed him every step of the way!'" Magyk looked at his hand. "Okay, here goes! Skilled Dark Magician! Attack his facedown monster now! Black Magic!" Skilled Dark Magician held his wand high, and lightning struck the facedown monster, causing an explosion... But as the smoke cleared...

"Sorry, but your review needs some editing." Crouching before Poison was a man in Egyptian robes, unharmed by the attack.

Gravekeeper's Spy: 1200/2000

"I hate to tell you this, but my Spy's defense points are higher than your Magician's attack!"

Magyk: 7900

Poison: 8000

"Nice trick."

"And here's a treat! You flipped my monster, which means that now his special ability activates! He lets me summon another spellcaster from my deck, just so long as it has 1500 or fewer attack points! So now I summoned another Gravekeeper's Spy in defense mode!" A second man, identical to the first, appeared.

Gravekeeper's Spy 2: 1200/2000

"You're not the only one that can pull a sudden appearance on the stage," said Magyk. "Reveal Magical Dimension!" As his facedown rose up, a glass box appeared around Skilled Dark Magician. "Now I can sacrifice my Skilled Dark Magician to summon the Magical Marionette!" Smoke filled the glass box, and when it cleared, a new monster was in place of the Magician. Instead of a mage, a menacing-looking puppet filled the box, while a bizarre puppeteer loomed overhead.

Magical Marionette: 2000/1000

"And there's more," said Magyk. "You see, my Dimension has a second effect... It destroys one of your monsters!" The box shattered, and the shrapnel rained down on one of the Gravekeeper's Spies, annihilating it.

"Ta-da!" Magyk took a little bow.

'Not good...' realized Poison. 'I've let him gain too much momentum. He's barely dented his life points, and he's ahead of me in monsters. I have to find a way to even the odds, and I have to do it quickly! Otherwise, Hikari won't have anyone to watch her back, and I'll share the same fate as everybody else!'

* * *

The Winged Minion didn't know what hit them. One second they were swarming at the Good Duelists from all sides, and then they encountered the most forceful counter-attack yet.

Mouse and Void, closest to the front, were the first to strike; Mouse grabbed the nearest one and slammed it into the wall, while Void whipped out his tonfas and, in one smooth motion, clubbed two of the Minion hard enough to send them flying back the way they came.

Not to be shown up, Tristan and Joey were letting their fists fly, striking Minions left and right, not resting for an instant.

"FAMILIAR KNIGHT!" Called out Rex as he summoned a monster. "Defend Ami!" The Knight nodded and moved between Ami and the swarm.

"Rex..." She almost blushed, but caught herself. "I summon Mother Grizzly!" The bear appeared and roared.

"Good thinking," said CV. "If you can't fight hand to hand, stand back and summon monsters to bolster our defense!"

"Agreed," said Yugi. "But we can't allow this battle to go on for very long... Not if we're going to stop Ramesus."

"He's right," said Rocket Warrior. "These guys are just flunkies. We need to take out the top banana." The two dragons nodded.

"First things first," said CV. He extended his disk to play mode. "Boys? It's playtime." He placed Hyozanryu, Rocket Warrior, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the disk, and all three materialized.

"Sic 'em." They sicced. Hyozanryu took to the right, using his claws to rend the Minion, while Red-Eyes went left, doing the same, and refraining from using his attack lest he harm the students. Rocket Warrior merrily went down the middle, blasting down the hallway to clear out the next wave ahead of time.

"They do good work," said Yugi.

"I'm so proud..." CV smirked.

"Looks like we're starting to gain ground, thanks to your friends," said LazyMan. "If we keep up this pace, we'll clean them out in no time!"

Which is about when Rocket Warrior raced back the way he came, in a total panic.

"BAD DAY! BAD DAY!" He screeched to a halt before CV, who sweatdropped.

"It MUST be bad... You NEVER impersonate Jackie Chan."

"Really bad," admitted Rocket Warrior. "There's trouble outside!"

"What kind of trouble?!" demanded Nat as she stomped on a Winged Minion's head.

"Ryu Kokki trouble!"

CV felt like he'd swallowed some of the cafeteria tuna surprise. "Lazyman!"

"GO! Take some of the others with you! We can hold the line!"

"Count me in," said Nat. "I owe that freak one."

"And me," said Hikari.

"No," said Yugi. "He's too dangerous, Hikari. Stay here and help defend the school. I'll go."

"If you're goin'," said Joey, "So am I."

"Same here," said Tristan.

"Okay then," said CV. "Rocket Warrior... Lead the way."

"WAIT!" They paused and turned to see Ami and Rex, standing close by.

"We're coming too," said Rex. "It's time we pulled our weight."

"Welcome aboard," said CV. "Glad to have you."

* * *

As they ran down the hall, Tapkar watched them go.

"Not even a second's hesitation... Amazing." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Allis, cringing as she fumbled with her deck, trying to find a monster powerful enough to be of assistance. What she didn't see was that several Minion were closing on her.

"ALLIS!" He moved between her and the Minion. "Don't worry! I'll protect you!" Even as he said that, two latched onto his legs. "Sorry, but you're not laying a single talon on her!" He kicked one Minion away, but several more massed on him.

"Tapkar..."

"Allis... Tell them what happened, okay?" As he said it, he could feel himself fading away. "Tell them I was brave, huh?" As he vanished, a Minion tossed a piece of paper to Allis. Hesitantly, she opened it up.

After a moment, she wished she could have vanished as well.

* * *

Tapkar opened his eyes. He knew instinctively that he was suspended above a floor... And he wasn't alone. Looking around, he saw many familiar faces.

"Mech! Forest! Miss Mutou! ...JAY!" He gasped as he saw his best friend, just a few feet away.

"...Okay," muttered Jay, "The whole 'banishing people I saved' bit is REALLY STARTING TO GET OLD!"

"I did it, Jay," said Tapkar, pleased with himself. "I finally found my courage! I saved Allis from the Minion!"

Jay sweatdropped. "Yeah... About that..." He paused. "She's with Ramesus."

There was a poignant silence.

"...You're kidding. I mean, it's Allis... She'd never-"

"She did," said Mokuba.

"She turned on us," added Drift. "She's been spying on us for MONTHS."

He let that sink in. He bowed his head, sweatdropping. "Aw MAN..."

"Don't give up," said Tea. "There's still hope."

"Yeah," said Jay as he watched CV and Yugi race down the hall. "There is."

* * *

"My move," said Poison as he drew. "One monster facedown." A holocard appeared. "And now I play Magical Blast!" The card rose up. "Now, for every spellcaster on my side of the field, you take 200 damage!" The Spy raise dit's hand, and a blast of energy blazed forward, striking Magyk in the chest. He was staggered, but held his footing.

Magyk: 7700

Poison: 8000

"Bad idea, because you just activated my Marionette's special ability! Each time a spell card is played, he gains 200 attack!" The Marionette glowed softly.

Magical Marionette: 2200/1000

'He's right," realized Poison. 'That WAS a bad idea. With only one spellcaster face up, it did almost nothing to him and powered up his monster!'

"Feeling a bit distracted, Poison?" asked Ramesus. "That was an unusually foolish move on your part."

'What's going on?' wondered Magyk. 'I've never known Poison to waste a powerful card like that before. Ramesus is right... He's distracted... But why?' He glared at hi opponent. 'No, it doesn't matter. I've got to take him down hard and fast, no matter what!'

"Oh, you know he has a plan," said Bubble.

"He always does," said Toil.

"That's why he's our hero!" finished Trouble.

"I end my turn," said Poison. "Go."

The Brews flopped.

"Gladly!" Magyk drew. "I play Smashing Ground!" A spell card rose up. "This card lets me destroy the monster on your side of the field with the highest defense... Namely your Spy! It's OUTTA HERE!" A massive fist flew out of the sky, striking the Spy and shattering it.

"It also had a second effect... Giving my Marionette a second counter!" The Marionette glowed brighter now.

Magical Marionette: 2400/1000

"So go ahead and attack," said Poison. "It won't make Any difference."

"Yeah, right," said Magyk. "I'm not stupid. I remember your facedown card. It's probably a trap that'll hurt me badly when I attack. Well, no worries, I'm ready for that, too."

Poison bit back a curse. Magyk was totally on the money.

"Now I activate Marionette's final ability! I remove both his spell counters!" The glow faded.

Magical Marionette: 2000/1000

"And when I do that, he can automatically destroy one monster on your side of the field! Your facedown is fresh outta luck!" The card flipped, revealing Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, before it and the creature vanished.

"And now to deal with your facedown! I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!" He slammed the card down, and a red-armored sorcerer appeared.

Breaker the Magical Warrior: 1600/1000

His shield began to glow.

"Now, when Breaker is normal summoned, he gains a spell counter that increases his attack by 300 points. HOWEVER... Mine isn't getting that advantage. And do you know why?"

"Oh, do tell," prodded Ramesus. "This is delicious."

"Fine. It isn't going up because I'm going to use that counter instead... To destroy your trap!" The counter fired from Breaker's shield, striking Poison's facedown card. It rose up, revealing Mirror Force, before it shattered.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Bubble. "Poison's defenseless!"

"That he is," said Magyk. "BREAKER! MARIONETTE! DOUBLE TEAM! ATTACK DIRECTLY!"

Both monster nodded and struck as one. Breaker's energy blast hit Poison head on, right before the Marionette sliced through him with both blades.

Magyk: 7700

Poison: 4400

"Cute... Real cute..." Poison fell to one knee.

'Blast it, you idiot!' he thought to himself. 'I can't save you if you're busy blowing me away! Well, if stalling won't work, I'll KNOCK some sense into you!'

Poison stood up straight and drew. "I play Graceful Charity!" An angel appeared behind him and made it rain on his deck. "Now I can draw three cards, but I have to discard two to the graveyard!" He selected Apprentice Magician and Dark Magician, and sent them away.

"And now Marionette gains a counter," said Magyk.

Magical Marionette: 2200/1000

"And it's about to gain another," said Poison. "I play Premature Burial!" A card rose up. "Now I pay 800 of my life points!"

Magyk: 7700

Poison: 3600

"In exchange, I can revive a monster I just sent away... Come forth DARK MAGICIAN!" The red Dark Magician appeared on the field, ready for battle.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

Marionette glowed brightly.

Magical Marionette: 2400/1000

"Go ahead," said Magyk. "Attack. The most you can do to me this round is 900 points of damage."

"Wrong," said Poison. "I can do a lot more thanks to my Lightning Vortex!" He played the card, and it materialized on the field. "Now all I have to do is discard a spell card like my Pot of Avarice..." He sent it away. "And all your monsters are toast!" Lightning lashed out, and Breaker and Marionette exploded into ash.

"Not good..." muttered Magyk.

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Dark Magician aimed his staff, and everything went negative for Magyk as he was attacked directly.

Magyk: 5200

Poison: 3600

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn," said Poison. "And if you're smart, you'll stop resisting me." A spell card appeared.

"Not... A chance..." Magyk recovered. "I won't stop until only one of us is left!"

'That's what I'm afraid of...' thought Poison, concerned.

* * *

As they reached the exit, CV and Yugi both took their items and slammed them into it.

"WE BREAK THE SEAL!" Immediately, the magic holding everyone inside shattered; Just like that, at long last, the students were free to escape... Not that Any were in a position to.

Without further hesitation, they rushed outside, just in time to see lightning strike a tree in the courtyard. As it began to burn, Ryu Kokki laughed.

"I was wondering when you would make yourselves known," he said, amused.

"You've got some nerve showing yourself," said Nat. "After what you pulled in Monster World, we owe you some serious pain."

"Ignorant woman-child, my business does not concern the likes of you." He glared at Nat, then turned towards CV and Yugi. "Warrior. Pharaoh. I challenge the both of you to a Shadow Game like no other. The game is simple. You must fend off my attacks at all cost. If I succeed in destroying the Academy, all within are forfeit, as are the both of you and all your friends standing here before me. If you bring my life points, which double as my attack points, to zero, you win."

"It can't be that simple," muttered Joey. "It's too easy."

"Very true, Mr. Wheeler. These are the rules: You can summon up to five monsters at a time without sacrificing... BUT! Fusion and ritual monsters must still be summoned the normal way.

"In addition, for every monster you summon, I gain attack points equal to that monster."

"In other words," said Yugi, "You'd quickly become invincible."

"Not quite. To keep it fair, Any attack against me will lower my life points."

"Still too easy," muttered Rex.

"Also true. Whenever lightning flashes, you may each replenish your hands. No effect that destroys or removes a monster from play can be used against me... So you can forget about your precious Raigeki, Warrior."

CV muttered and pocketed the card.

"There are two more rules to consider... If a duel spirit is summoned and destroyed, it's gone forever."

CV's eyes went wide. "Guys," he said to the Spirits. "Stay out of this fight, no matter what."

Red-Eyes growled in protest.

"No arguments. Not this time."

"And the second rule?" asked Yugi.

"All in good time. It's a surprise," said Ryu Kokki. He grinned. "Shall we?"

CV and Yugi exchanged glances.

"Let's do it," said CV.

The Millennium Puzzle began to glow and move about.

"YUGIOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Yugi's hair stood up straighter as the Puzzle's shook. His eyes, focused before, gained an entire new level of depth.

"MILLENNIUM POWER!" Immediately, CyberV felt an immense surge of power, far stronger than those of the past. Instinctively, he threw the Scepter and Wdjat into the air above him and ripped off his jacket, putting it back on like a cape; the sleeves, with just a flick of his wrist, had tied themselves together. The Scepter came down, and he caught it deftly as his hair rose up. A white streak appeared in the front of his hair. The Millennium Wdjat came down, and CyberV struck it with the Scepter. The Wdjat sunk into the orb at the end of the Scepter, and another wdjat appeared on CyberV's forehead.

"Let the game begin," said Yami Yugi.

"It's Duelin' Time..." muttered CV.

"Game... START!" All around Ryu Kokki, lightning struck. Right away, the battle to save the Academy was on...

* * *

Ashes felt cold all around her, but Flame Sprite's presence helped stave off the worst of it. The Shadow Realm was anything but inviting, even with a band of energy around her wrist.

"God, I hate this place..." she shuddered involuntarily.

"It's not too late to go back," said the spirit, obviously agitated.

"No," said Ashes. "We need to find Jay and the others. They're counting on us." She paused, gathering her courage. "Can you sense the Creator?"

"I don't..." She looked around, letting her instincts guide her. She pointed east. "That way, I think."

"Then let's go," she said as they began running in that direction.

As she raced into the distance, she remained unaware of the three sets of eyes, watching her from a distance, deriving great glee from the thought of vengeance soon to come...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Do What You Must! The Greater Good is Served!


	44. The Greater Good is Served!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Magyk found himself forced to duel Poison once again, but this time, with his very soul on the line. What he didn't know was that Poison wanted nothing to do with the duel, and was trying to find a way to end it without there being a loser. Meanwhile, even as Allis received new orders from Ramesus, Ryu Kokki appeared and challenged CyberV and Yugi to a shadow game... with the lives of everyone in the Academy on the line. And in the Shadow Realm, Ashes began her search for the missing students, unaware that she was being watched by malevolent eyes...

* * *

As the black clouds rolled overhead, and lightning flashed through the sky, CyberV and Yami Yugi watched the mad duel spirit Ryu Kokki with an intensity palpable enough that all present could feel it.

"Is that fear I see on your eyes?" asked Ryu Kokki with malicious glee. "I can't say I blame you, Warrior. You don't dare risk summoning your three spirits to the field, and that leaves you terribly weakened in this match. You'd better surrender now, and give the Scepter to Ramesus."

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"Not happening," said CV. "We'll beat you. We have to."

"Do your worst," said Yugi. "I promise you, when the dust settles, we'll be the ones to claim victory."

"Brave words... FROM ONE ABOUT TO FALL!" Ryu Kokki, without warning, unleashed a blast of black energy from his mouth right towards Yugi.

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Tristan, before realizing Yugi had things under control.

"Nice try," said Yugi. "BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH! BIG SHIELD GUARDNA! DEFEND US FROM THIS VILLAIN'S SCORN!" As Yugi said this, he placed the monster card onto his duel disk, and his strongest defense monster materialized.

Big Shield Guardna: 100/2600

The blast struck Guardna, but failed to penetrate the shield. As it subsided, Yugi smirked.

"And now you gain his attack points, correct?"

"I do," said Ryu Kokki.

Ryu Kokki: 2500/4600

"But you then lose 200," pointed out CV, "since Guardna's defense is higher than your attack."

"So it seems," allowed Ryu Kokki, unmindful of the loss.

Ryu Kokki: 2300/4600

Big Shield Guardna stood up.

"Of course, now your Guardna's effect makes him a very easy target." Ryu Kokki chuckled.

"Not quite," said Yugi. "I play the spell Sit Down!" A spell card rose up behind Guardna. "Now once per turn, I can switch a monster equipped with this into defense position... and I choose Big Shield Guardna!" Guardna crouched down again. "You've already lost, Ryu Kokki. All we need to do is keep placing Guardna in defense mode, and you'll wear yourself out in no time at all."

"Amazing..." Rex was impressed. "The battle's already over, just like that."

"And with only two cards played..." Ami was astonished.

"I dunno," muttered Joey. "It seems too easy."

"You should listen to your friends, Pharaoh," said Ryu Kokki. "Already, you forget... My goal isn't to attack you... IT'S TO ATTACK THE ACADEMY!" As he said this, the duel spirit turned and fired, directly at the gathered observers.

As the blast came towards them, Nat had a bad feeling that "This is going to hurt..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 44: Do What You Must! The Greater Good is Served!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, Necrofear, and Kasil

* * *

"NAT!" CV cried out. "HANG ON! PATRICIAN OF DARKNESS! ARISE!" Without thinking, CV slammed the monster card onto his disk, and the zombie creature appeared in the sky.

Patrician of Darkness: 2000/1400

"REDIRECT HIS ATTACK!"

Patrician of Darkness nodded and glowed darkly. As the others braced themselves for the impact, Nat watched, amazed, as Ryu Kokki's blast suddenly slowed... slowed... and stopped.

"Are we dead yet?" asked Ami, cringing.

"No," said Nat. "No we aren't."

The blast then redirected, and Patrician of Darkness took it head on, shattering into nothing.

Ryu Kokki: 4300/8000

"I thank you for the energy boost, fool," chuckled Ryu Kokki. "Of course, since you didn't have Guardna on your disk, you couldn't redirect the blast to anything other than your Patrician. Such a shame." Ryu Kokki fired again, and Guardna shattered as well, overwhelmed by the assault.

"This isn't good," said Yugi. "He's already stronger than my Obelisk."

"Sorry," said CV. "But I didn't have any choice. If I hadn't summoned the Patrician..."

"No," said Yugi. "You made the right choice. It seems we're in for a battle after all."

"Man, that was too close..." Tristan breathed a sigh of relief. "But now what can they do?"

"They'll think of something," said Joey. "Yugi always does."

"But he'll just get stronger every time they summon a monster," noted Rex. "They're in trouble."

Ami didn't hear any of that. 'Did he call out... Nat's name?'

"Well then," said CV. "We'll just have to wear him down the old fashioned way... Since we don't need to worry about life points of our own, I say we summon the strongest monsters we can, and hammer away until he's vaporized."

"It seems," said Yugi, "that we have no other options." Lightning struck, and he and CV quickly replaced the cards they had used. "But we must also protect our friends... KURIBOH! COME FORTH!" Yugi placed his trusted monster onto his disk, and Kuriboh materialized.

Kuriboh: 300/200

Ryu Kokki: 4600/8200

"That little ball of fluff's going to help you, Pharaoh?" asked the malevolent spirit in a mocking tone. "How novel."

"He will," said Yugi, "once I play the spell Multiply! Now one Kuriboh becomes MANY!" Instantly, Kuriboh began to fill the air behind Yugi, forming a barrier between the others and the battle.

"Interesting," admitted the dark spirit. "But eventually, I shall be powerful enough to overcome even THAT obstacle."

"So we just have to hit you hard and fast enough to keep you from getting there," said CV. "And that's fine by me." He looked at his hand. "And how about I start with a couple old friends? SUMMONED SKULL! ELEMENTAL HERO BLADEDGE! COME TO OUR AID!" There were twin flashes of light as CV's trusted heavy hitters appeared.

Summoned Skull: 2500/1200

Elemental Hero Bladedge: 2600/1800

Ryu Kokki began to burn with black fire as his power grew. "Excellent..."

Ryu Kokki: 9700/11200

"NOW NAIL HIM! LIGHTNING STRIKE! SLICE AND DICE ATTACK!" At CV's order, Summoned Skull charged up and let loose an intense bolt of electricity. Even as it struck Ryu Kokki, Bladedge rocketed in, his arm blades extending out, before he slashed at the villain with all his power.

"That ought to bring you back down to a manageable size..." said CV.

Ryu Kokki laughed.

"...Or not..."

Ryu Kokki: 9700/6100

"Fool. All I did was switch myself to defense mode before your attacks could land. You've dwindled my defense, yes, but my power remains unaffected. POWER ENOUGH TO CRUSH YOUR MONSTERS LIKE INSECTS!" He let loose with black flames.

"EVADE!" ordered CV. Summoned Skull flapped it's demonic wings and took to the skies, while Bladedge activated his rockets and blasted himself out of the way. The flames missed the monsters by mere inches.

"This isn't going well..." Rocket Warrior clenched his fists. "We've gotta get in there!" Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes growled in agreement.

"No," said Nat. "If you do, Ryu Kokki will annihilate you."

"I don't care! He needs us!"

"Yes, he does... And that's why he isn't using you this time. He needs you to survive."

"...Why are you talking to the air?" asked Rex.

Nat and the spirits sweatdropped.

"Man, I HATE being invisible sometimes..." Rocket Warrior sighed.

Inside Yugi's head, the true Yugi grimaced. 'It's not going well, partner,' he thought. 'We need a plan and fast. If he can switch between attack and defense when we attack him, there's no telling what else he might be able to do.'

'I agree,' thought Atem. 'But there's more. If defeating Ryu Kokki was a simple as wearing down his attack points, this would be a simple matter. What worries me more is WHY he's doing this. While we're stuck out here battling him, Ramesus is free to run rampant over the entire Academy.'

'But he was doing that anyway. No, he's buying time for something, but what?'

'I don't know, Yugi. But I do know that it can't be good. And beyond that, why would this duel be designed to remove the Warrior's spirits from the equation? Why not the God Cards as well?'

'Yes, it doesn't make any sense. I mean, even with his supplementary spells and traps, I wouldn't say that Rocket Warrior, Hyozanryu, or Red-Eyes Black Dragon are his best monsters.'

'No, they aren't his strongest, but without them, he's limited in his options. In fact, in this situation, I'd almost expect him to call on his Vehicles.'

Yami Yugi's eyes snapped open.

"Oh no..."

'We have to warn him before he summons the Vehicles!' thought Yugi. 'That HAS to be what Ryu Kokki wants!'

"CYBERV!" shouted Yami Yugi. "DON'T CALL OUT THE VEHICLES!"

"Don't need to," said CV. "Besides, I still have monsters on the field!"

"But there's a reason-"

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Joey.

Yugi snapped to attention as he saw an attack coming right at him.

"MYSTICAL ELF!" Yugi quickly slammed the card down, and the angelic monster appeared, taking the hit and shattering, but saving him from harm. "That was too close... We'll have to worry about explaining the situation to him later, and focus on surviving first!"

Ryu Kokki: 10500/8100

"You okay, Yugi? It's not like you ta daydream during a duel!" The concern in Joey's voice was obvious.

"Yes, and now it's time I reentered this fight... COME FORTH MY DARK MAGICIAN!" Yugi placed the card down, and his most trusted monster appeared.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

Ryu Kokki glowed with dark power again.

Ryu Kokki: 13000/10200

"Such a precious gift. Thank you, Pharaoh."

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" shouted Yugi. The Magician raised his staff, and everything went negative. Ryu Kokki staggered backwards, stunned but far from beaten.

Ryu Kokki: 13000/7700

"Blast it, he switched to defense again."

"STRIKE NOW!" shouted CV. "Before he recovers!"

"Yes!" Tristan was pleased. "Even in defense mode, this big creep can still get taken down! If all three of the monsters attack at once..."

"They can win!" Ami was cheered by the news.

And even as she said it, Summoned Skull, Bladedge, and the Dark Magician all charged to finish the job...

* * *

Magyk and Poison were both breathing heavily, the stress of the duel and the precariousness of the situation taxing both of them to the extreme. At the moment, the only cards in play were Poison's Dark Magician and a facedown, but the battle was far from over.

Magyk: 5200

Poison: 3600

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

'Blast it...' thought Poison. 'If I could just get him to realize I'm not his enemy, we could put an end to this! The longer I'm stuck here in this pointless duel, the more danger Hikari's in! He has to know he can't get out of this situation by now... Why won't he make this easy?!'

Magyk watched Poison carefully, wary of his opponent's talent for having tricks up his sleeve. Apropos for a magician, of course...

'If he thinks I'm giving up just because the odds are against me, he's crazier than I thought. If I can beat him... WHEN I beat him, I've got a shot at putting an end to Ramesus's plan once and for all!'

Magyk looked at his hand. 'Yeah, I've got to try, for everyone's sake!'

"HERE I GO!" he said as he drew. "I play the spell card Snatch Steal!" The card appeared on the field. "Now I get to take control of one of your monsters! And since Dark Magician is the only monster on the field..."

As he said that, Dark Magician turned to face Poison and floated backwards to join Magyk.

"So what? Attack me with my own monster. Go ahead. It won't change things much, not with the second effect of that magic card."

"Who said that the Dark Magician was gonna be around long enough for you to gain life points?" Magyk smirked. "I play the spell Dedication Through Light and Darkness!" The spell rose up. "This lets me trade in your Dark Magician for the deluxe model! So straight from my deck..." Dark Magician and Snatch Steal faded away and a card glowed from deep within Magyk's deck. It shot onto his Disk. "COME FORTH DARK MAGICIAN OF CHAOS!" The leather-clad spellcaster appeared in a flash of light, ready for battle.

Dark Magician of Chaos: 2800/2600

"And since he was summoned successfully, I can get one spell back from my graveyard! Man, I love that special ability of his." Smashing Ground ejected from Magyk's graveyard, and he picked it up swiftly.

"Now hit him hard with CHAOS SCEPTER BLAST!" DMOC slammed his scepter into the ground, and black bolts of energy lanced through the floor, tearing through concrete until they struck Poison head-on. Stunned, Poison dropped to one knee, down but not out.

Magyk: 5200

Poison: 800

"Next turn, it's all over," said Magyk. "You'll join everyone else you slimeballs have hurt, and I'll face Ramesus for the sake of everyone left in the school."

"And... You'd lose." Poison struggled to his feet. "You can't really think that you stand a chance against Ramesus, do you? He's undefeated, his deck nearly omnipotent. There's only one duelist in this school that stands any real chance of beating him."

"True," said Ramesus, amused by the duel. "And even now, Ryu Kokki, my faithful spirit, is luring him into a trap from which there is no escape."

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Magyk.

"It's simple. Soon enough, the Warrior will fail his final challenge. Deprived of his duel spirit cards, his deck is pitiful, with only one ace up his sleeve... Or is that FIVE aces?" He chuckled.

Magyk growled. "All the more reason for me to hit you with everything I've got!"

"Playing at being the hero? How insipid. Heroes die, my dear Magyk." Ramesus sighed. "It's the way of the world. In the end, only entropy and power remain."

"Not... quite... true..." said Poison as he fought off the exhaustion he was feeling. "There's one... other thing... That's eternal."

"Ah, yes," said Ramesus. "Of course. Forgive my omission. I nearly forgot... ME." He chuckled.

Poison scowled at that. Magyk watched, carefully.

'No, Ramesus is wrong! That's not what Poison meant! But what...'

His eyes widened with realization as his memories flashed back to the beginning of the school year. Back to CyberV's duel with Hikari.

_'I can't help but notice how one particular member of Ramesus' group up there in the stands has been eyeing you like a piece of beef. Romantic inclinations are hard to miss when they're written all over someone's body language. Again, sloppy behavior for a magician. Deductive reasoning tells me that sometime after you received your invitation to an initiation duel, likely last night, Poison contacted you and gave you the list, in hopes you'd either show interest in him, the Evil Duelists, or both.'_

_Poison sunk out of his seat, embarrassed beyond belief. 'This isn't happening... This isn't happening...'_

That moment flashed through Magyk's memory in an instant.

'He was talking about... love. No way! After all this time, he's still in love with Hikari?! But if that's the case, why is he helping Ramesus? He has to know that she's on his list of targets!'

His eyes narrowed.

'He wouldn't. He must be desperate to end the duel to try and get her out of the Academy!'

He glanced up at the Brew Sisters and Ramesus. 'And despite my bravado, there's no way I can beat four of them at once.' He clenched his fists. 'They were telling the truth. I'm not getting out of this arena the way I came in. I can't save anybody like this, not even myself. But maybe...' He looked at Poison. 'Yes, at least this way, ONE person might make it out of this insanity to stop Ramesus.'

He glanced at his hand. 'Looks like it's time to give Poison his chance. I just hope I'm right...'

"I end my turn."

Poison was surprised. No face downs. No spells or traps. Not even to bluff?

He looked directly at Magyk, looked into his eyes. And he understood.

'He knows.' Slowly, Poison reached for his deck to draw. 'Then for the greater good...'

"HERE I GO!"

* * *

"Okay," said Hikari. "SUPER VEHICROID JUMBO DRILL! FINISH THESE FLYING FREAKS OFF!" The massive machine monster's drill began to spin as it rolled forward, obliterating the Winged Minion in their path.

Turning away from her monster, Hikari glanced at Allis. "You okay?"

Clutching the fateful message in her hand, Allis nodded. "Do... Do you think Magyk might..."

"Might what? Be gone?"

"No... Do... Do you think he might be where Jay disappeared?" She was barely able to choke out the traitorous bait.

"It would make sense," said Flame Swordsman. "Staging battles there would give Ramesus a psychological advantage over his targets."

"Good enough for me!" said Hikari as Jumbo Drill vanished. "Let's do it! Come on, Allis!"

"You... You want me there with you?"

"It was your idea." Hikari grinned. "You should see it through. Who knows? Maybe you'll wind up a hero when the dust settles."

From his own section of the battlefield, Lazyman heard them speaking. "Hikari! Allis! GO! We need all the help we can get! If you find Magyk, bring him back! If not..."

"We will!" said Hikari. "Don't worry!" Grabbing Allis's hand, Hikari bolted down the corridor.

"GOOD LUCK!" shouted Ikke. "Be careful, Allis!"

It was all Allis could do to keep up... and hide her tears.

* * *

As the three monsters bore down upon him, Ryu Kokki laughed. "Did you truly believe that defeating me would be that easy? FOOLS!" As Bladedge came in for the attack, Ryu Kokki faded into the shadows, dodging the strike. He came up behind Summoned Skull and struck without warning, firing an energy blast point blank. The embattled monster fell forward, shattering as it landed.

"NO!" CV couldn't believe how fast Ryu Kokki was.

"DARK MAGICIAN! ATTACK NOW!" Yugi, unimpressed, had his monster prepare to strike. Dark Magician raised his staff and let loose a blast of magical energy... Unphased by the impending damage, Ryu Kokki's many skulls opened wide their jaws, creating a vortex he aimed at Bladedge. Already moving towards the villain again, Bladedge was pulled far too quickly to let himself stop. Sensing the timing was right, Ryu Kokki grabbed the Elemental Hero and let him take the strike from Dark Magician instead.

"Nice shot." He let go of Bladedge, who slumped to the ground and shattered.

"You filthy..." Yugi growled.

"It's not over yet," said CV as the lightning flashed. He and Yugi replenished their hands. "So we just try again! I summon Enraged Muka Muka!" The bizarre creature appeared.

Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600

Ryu Kokki burned with black energy.

Ryu Kokki: 14200/8300

"And now I activate his special ability," said CV. "For every card in my hand, he gains an extra 400 attack points, and I have five! That means he has a grand total of 3200!" The large gem in the creature's mouth glowed brightly.

Enraged Muka Muka: 3200/600

"FIRE!" Enraged Muka Muka let loose with a massive blast of energy. Ryu Kokki, seeing it coming, raised his hand and returned fire, meeting the beam with one of his own.

"Pitiful," said Ryu Kokki as he redoubled his minimal efforts, sending the monster's beam backwards. In seconds, Muka Muka was enveloped in Ryu Kokki's attack and shattered. "Nice try, Warrior, but rock monsters make for such EASY targets..."

"He's starting to run low on heavy hitters," noted Nat. "If this keeps up, he'll HAVE to summon the Vehicles!"

"But Yugi told him not to," said Rex. "And I don't think he can save us with Hero Kid and Griggle."

"But why doesn't Yugi want the Vehicles summoned?" Ami was confused by that.

"Yug's got his reasons," said Joey. "I just wish I knew what they are, since we could use some heavy metal out there."

"RUDE KAISER! LUSTER DRAGONS!" CV slammed three more monsters into his slots, and a lizard warrior and two of his faithful dragons appeared.

Rude Kaiser: 1800/1600

Luster Dragon x2: 1900/1600

Ryu Kokki again burned with darkness.

Ryu Kokki: 19800/13100

"And I've got a surprise for you, too," said Yugi. "BUSTER BLADER, ARISE!" Yugi placed a monster card on the field, and the mighty dragon-taming knight appeared on the field.

Buster Blader: 2600/2300

"Ah, more power. THANK you, Pharaoh." The villain chuckled.

Ryu Kokki: 22400/15400

"Yes, you grow more powerful, but thanks to CyberV's Luster Dragons, Buster Blader's special ability activates, allowing him to gain 500 attack points for each dragon on the field or in the graveyard!"

Buster Blader: 3600/2300

Lightning flashed, and they drew until each had six cards.

"Then let me give him even more power," said CV. "I play Card Destruction!" The spell rose up. "Now we each discard our hands and draw new cards equal to what we just lost." CV discarded five, Yugi six.

"And fortunately, among the cards I just discarded were Winged Dragon and Koumori Dragon." Yugi smirked.

"And I just tossed Meteor Dragon, Kiryu, and Pitch-Dark Dragon," added CV. "So now Buster Blader's getting a massive powerboost!"

Buster Blader: 6100/2300

"GO! BUSTER SLASH!" Buster Blader leapt into the air and swung at Ryu Kokki. Ryu Kokki took the unexpectedly powerful blow head on, allowing it to come out of his attack points.

Ryu Kokki: 16300/15400

"STRIKE AGAIN!" shouted Yugi. Buster Blader turned and swung his blade again, but this time, Ryu Kokki caught the blade.

"One hit's all you get." With glee, he grabbed Buster Blader's neck and began to squeeze.

"POLYMERIZATION!" Yugi shouted as the spell card rose up. Suddenly, Buster Blader vanished from Ryu Kokki's grasp, even as he felt new power.

Ryu Kokki: 19200/17800

"WHAT?!" Hovering over Ryu Kokki's head was a furious, dragon powered Dark Paladin.

Dark Paladin (w/dragon power) : 6400/2400

"ALL OUT ATTACK!" shouted Yugi and CV. Both Luster Dragons let loose with a torrent of diamond fire, while Dark Paladin and Rude Kaiser both slashed with their blades, hitting Ryu Kokki on four sides with nowhere to go.

Ryu Kokki staggered backwards, badly injured.

Ryu Kokki: 7200/17800

"AGAIN!" Ryu Kokki quickly shifted to his defense mode as the blows came.

Ryu Kokki: 7200/5800

"It's over," said Tristan. "It's gotta be. No matter which mode he's in, he doesn't have the points to survive another assault."

"Oh yeah!" Joey pumped his fist into the air. "FINISH THAT CREEP OFF!"

"With pleasure," said CV.

"Yes, with pleasure," said Ryu Kokki, mockingly. "MINE." Lightning struck without warning, hitting Ryu Kokki and creating a shockwave that forced the monsters back as a massive crater formed on the school grounds.

"What's happening?!" demanded Yugi.

"Our problems just got a lot BIGGER." CV looked up, astonished, as Ryu Kokki began to grow, enlarging in size until he was comparable with the Academy itself.

"At last, we can begin the final stage of the game." Ryu Kokki chuckled.

"Your size means nothing," said Yugi. "Your attack and defense points are still the same."

"Look again, Pharaoh," said Ryu Kokki. "The lightning has been storing every attack and defense point from EVERY MONSTER SUMMONED in this battle! AND THAT POWER NOW BELONGS TO ME!"

"...Okay, this is bad..." CV sweatdropped as Ryu Kokki burned with darkness thicker than ever before.

Ryu Kokki: 32700/29200

"That's an understatement," said Yugi. "He's so powerful now that it would take a monster like Exodia to defeat him!"

"And he's so big that most of our monsters wouldn't even make him blink!" CV and Yugi refreshed their hands. CV looked at his hand.

'The Vehicles! And Lava Golem, too! Great timing! But... Yugi said not to use the Vehicles. No idea why, though, and there's no time to ask!'

"LAVA GOLEM! TIME TO COOK THIS CREEP!" CV slammed Lava Golem into a monster slot. The melting monster appeared on the field, roaring in defiance of the massive Ryu Kokki.

Lava Golem: 3000/2500

Ryu Kokki: 35700/34700

With the other monsters, Lava Golem shambled forward, reaching for Ryu Kokki, who chuckled in amusement.

"A waste of my time." He thrust his hand forward and a black beam of energy lashed out, shattering the Luster Dragons and Rude Kaiser. "What's wrong, Warrior? Out of options?"

CV clutched the Vehicle cards tightly. 'He's right. If Lava Golem can't do it, even if I drew Gilford the Lightning or Mobius... Or even managed to summon Five Headed Dragon, they'd be annihilated. I need the Vehicles!'

As CV grappled with the decision, Lava Golem moved in for the attack...

* * *

Somewhere in the Shadow Realm, Flame Sprite and Ashes continued their journey to find the missing students.

"...Okay, it's official... We're lost." Ashes sighed. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"I was thinking that back when the words 'go to the Shadow Realm' came up..." Flame Sprite sweatdropped. "Maybe it's time we used that lifeline and went back to the real world?"

"...Maybe..." Ashes looked at the glowing band CV had made for her. Without it, they'd have no way to escape... They'd be as helpless as the missing students. "But still... I don't want to leave without Jay." Redoubling her resolve, she felt Jay's deck, in a holster she'd attached to her belt. "So let's keep moving a while longer. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"Sorry," said a voice from the darkness as gravely as death itself. "You're fresh out of that."

"I agree entirely, my love," said a female voice equally ghastly.

"I don't care who eats her soul," said a third. "Just so long as I can enjoy the show."

Ashes was instantly alert. She knew those voices. She'd just never expected to hear them again.

"SHOW YOURSELVES!"

The darkness around her bubbled and flowed, slowly transforming into sickening parodies of people she'd never wanted to see again. Shambling zombies, it was obvious that the Realm had worked it's hideous magic on them.

Sonny. Carly. And shockingly, since she'd had no idea he'd been banished at all... Blaze, the gang leader that had put Drift and Mouse in the hospital.

"It's so nice to see you again," said Sonny. "We've missed you so."

"And soon, you'll be one of us for all eternity," added Carly. "The power of the shadows is a wondrous thing, isn't it? I've never felt so... ALIVE."

"You've looked better," said both Ashes and Flame Sprite, mostly annoyed.

"Forget what we look like," said Blaze. "Just worry about what we're about to do to YOU." The three began to advance on her.

"I don't have time for this!" Ashes extended her duel disk to play mode and inserted her deck.

'Hang on, Jay! I'll save you... Somehow...'

* * *

Poison and Magyk looked each other in the eyes, silent communication running between them.

'I finally get it,' thought Magyk. 'You've been with us all along. Fine then, for the greater good, do what you have to.'

'Sorry, Magyk, but to save Hikari, I don't have any choice except to take you down!'

"It's time I ended this," said Poison. "I activate the second effect of Magical Blast, which lets me draw it from the graveyard instead of drawing from my deck!" His graveyard ejected Magical Blast, and he scooped it up.

"Next, I'll activate my facedown trap... CALL OF THE HAUNTED! Now I can resurrect my Dark Magician!" Call of the Haunted rose up, and Dark Magician burst out of the ground, once more alive and ready to fight.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"But he's not staying, since I need to sacrifice him to summon the all-powerful Black Executioner!" Dark Magician faded away as a new creature burst through the arena's ceiling, landing before both duelists.

"Interesting..." muttered Ramesus.

Black Executioner: 2500/2100

"And his special ability treats that as a special summoning, meaning I can still call out my Apprentice Magician!" The spellcaster appeared, ready to do battle.

Apprentice Magician: 400/800

"Sorry, but this is going to hurt. I activate the spell Magical Blast!" The spell rose up. "Now, for every spellcaster on my side of the field, you lose 200 life points!" The card let loose a burst of energy that struck Magyk.

Magyk: 4800

Poison: 800

"And that activates Black Executioner's special ability. Each time a spell card is played, you lose 1000 life points! GO WITH EXECUTIONER AXE!" The monster swung right at Magyk, who took it without flinching.

Magyk: 3800

Poison: 800

"Come on," said Magyk. "You can do better than that." He smirked.

"And I will," said Poison. "I play Smashing Ground!" The spell rose up. "Now the monster on your side of the field with the highest defense bites the dust. And since you only HAVE one monster..." A massive fist burst from the ceiling, striking DMOC and shattering the master magician like he was made of glass.

"And now Black Executioner's effect activates again!" Black Executioner swung again, and once more, Magyk ignored the strike.

"Finally, it's getting interesting." Magyk chuckled. It was over now, and they both knew it.

Magyk: 2800

Poison: 800

"Well now," said Magyk. "Looks to me like you've won this one." He looked Poison in the eyes. "Do what you have to."

Understanding, Poison nodded. "Monsters... Do it." He closed his eyes, not willing to watch as both Apprentice Magician and Black Executioner attacked.

Magyk, for his part, smiled. "Good game."

Magyk: 0

Poison: 800

Poison opened his eyes again. Already, Magyk was beginning to fade away like all the other victims of this shadow game.

"Yes... Yes, it was."

"Ramesus," said Magyk. "Don't get too comfortable. CV's gonna stop you. You'll see." Before he could say anything more, Magyk vanished entirely, his disk and deck falling to the ground with a soft thud.

"And another one bites the dust..." lamented Ramesus. "A pity. I'd hoped he would have bled a little."

"We knew you'd win!" said Bubble.

"Never any doubt," said Toil.

"You're the new Master of Magicians!" finished Trouble.

"Are you happy now?" asked Poison. "If you're done being entertained, I have things to do."

"Oh, but don't you get it?" asked Ramesus. "You're not going anywhere. EVER." He snapped his fingers, and bands of shadow energy surrounded Poison.

"Huh?"

"What's-"

"-Going-"

"-On?" The Brews were confused.

"Oh, it's simple, ladies. Poison's a traitor." Their eyes widened, and Poison scowled.

"How long?"

"How long have I known?" He chuckled. "I've known all along, or at least suspected. Ever since the Warrior had that little chat with you all those long months ago. But still, I wasn't certain until the day of the hostage crisis at the mall. Using your shadow powers to banish someone with a heart almost as black as mine? A foolish mistake."

Poison growled as the blood red wdjat appeared on his forehead. "The mistake was your's: giving me power! I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIKARI!" Poison aimed all his shadow power at Ramesus in the form of a massive red burst of energy. In response, Ramesus blew softly, and the blast split in two, striking behind him on both sides.

"Your second foolish mistake? Not remembering who GAVE you that power. You see, what I gave... I can also TAKE!" He snapped his fingers, and the wdjat on Poison's head shattered.

Poison dropped to his knees, suddenly feeling very, very small. He strained to tap into the power... and felt nothing.

"No more powers. No more hope of saving your pathetic crush."

"Tell him he's wrong, Poison!" said Bubble. "You'd never betray us... would you?"

Poison looked at the Brew Sisters and scoffed. "Some fanclub. You three don't know me at all." Turning away from them, he glared at Ramesus. "Go ahead. Do it. If I can't help her, you might as well send me to the same place your shadow game just sent Magyk."

"Oh no. No no no no no..." Ramesus smirked. "That'd be too easy. No, you'll be banished, never fear... But first you'll have the privilege of watching helplessly as I crush Hikari Wheeler's spirit into dust..."

* * *

Elsewhere, Void mentally cursed as he could see himself being lured away from the main group.

'If these things isolate me, it's over. I'll be no good to anyone banished to the Shadow Realm!'

Another wave of Winged Minion came at him.

"Not today!" He slammed a monster card down. "STRIKE NINJA! DEFEND ME NOW!" The superfast ninja warrior appeared, cutting down the Winged Minion with shuriken faster than the eye could follow. One second the air was thick with vile blue flesh... and the next, it was clear, save for the kunai imbedded in Strike Ninja's neck. The warrior collapsed and shattered, revealing the two people in the world Void both wished to see more than any other... and dreaded, as well.

"McMike. Sister." Indeed, it was apparently Kuno that had downed his monster, as she was twirling another kunai on her finger.

"It's been forever, big brother. But this isn't a family reunion. It's time to say goodbye."

"Have you really fallen this far, you two? Have you? Look at what's happening here! Ramesus is going to destroy this school... Maybe even the entire city or worse! Do you really want all that suffering on your conscience?"

"Who says we have one?" asked McMike. "All I care about is you. You deserve better than to fall to vermin like this." He kicked a Minion that hadn't been finished by Strike Ninja. It shattered.

"Glad you still care," said Void.

"Of course I do. If anyone should drag you to the shadows... It'll be ME." His disk extended to play mode.

Void sighed. "Old friend... Why did it have to come to this? We've reached the point of no return." His disk extended. "For your own good, may this not be our final battle."

* * *

Lava Golem shambled forward, setting the ground ablaze as it moved.

"LAVA GOLEM! VOLCANO WRATH!" CV directed his monster to attack, but Ryu Kokki just sighed.

"Too. Slow." He raised his hand, and a black beam lanced out, shattering Lava Golem's head. The decapitated monster began to slag, and sunk to the ground, hardening and shattering bit by bit.

"Come now, Warrior. I'm tired of the small fry. Give me your best shot."

CV clenched the Vehicle cards in his hand. Of all his remaining monsters, these five comprised his strongest force. But Yugi had said not to summon them...

"Don't do it," said Yugi. "It's a trap. I can feel it."

"He's stuck between a rock and a hard place," said Rocket Warrior. "If he doesn't use the Vehicles, he's got too few heavy hitters left to make a dent in that creep, and since he won't summon us, all his best options are out of the question!"

"That's right," said Nat. "Even Winged Kuriboh LV10 is useless thanks to the rule about no monster destroying effects."

"But what happens if he DOES summon them?" asked Tristan.

"No idea," said Joey. "But I'll bet it isn't good."

"I'll make the choice easy for you, Warrior," said Ryu Kokki. He raised his hand and fired another energy blast towards the school. Instinctively, Yugi's wall of Kuriboh began massing, forming a furry shield that took the blast... But Kuribohs shattered by the score, and despite their best efforts, pieces of the blast got through, tearing chunks out of the Academy's outer facade.

"And that was only a ten percent blast. Next time, it will be twenty. It's your move, Warrior." He grinned. "Choose wisely."

"Don't listen to him," warned Yugi. "He wants you to summon them."

CV narrowed his eyes. "Then he's gonna get his wish. No one threatens my friends and my school while I'm still standing to protect them. I already let Jay down... I WON'T FAIL AGAIN!" Before Yugi could move to stop him, CV spread the five Vehicle cards onto his disk. "COMBAT VEHICLES... MOBILIZE!"

* * *

Sensing what was happening, Ramesus grinned. "In case you were harboring any illusions of hope," he said to Poison. "The Warrior's just made his final, fatal mistake."

Poison glared, helpless to stop the madman.

* * *

"V-TIGER JET! COMBAT VEHICLE! POWER UP!"

From deep in the forest, the mechanical beast reared up and roared before bounding forward to heed it's master.

* * *

Inside the Academy, Ishizu watched from a convenient window.

"I fear this rash decision bodes ill for us all..."

* * *

"W-WING CATAPULT! COMBAT VEHICLE! POWER UP!"

From a nearby lake, the second Vehicle launched, rising out of the water like a bolt of lightning.

"Blast it..." Yugi bit back a curse. "I pray this isn't a mistake."

"X-HEAD CANNON! COMBAT VEHICLE! POWER UP!"

Behind the Academy, a warehouse split in two, revealing the massive machine monster, which began moving towards the battle at blinding speeds.

* * *

In the Shadow Realm, Jay and the others watched, hopeful that the battle would soon end, and bring them one step closer to freedom.

"Do it, buddy," said Jay. "We're counting on you."

* * *

"Y-DRAGON HEAD! COMBAT VEHICLE! POWER UP!"

A nearby mountain exploded as the flying creature burst out of it's top and did a barrel roll as it moved to join the fight.

Ami sweatdropped. "I love the Thunderzord summoning bit as much as any self-respecting otaku, but even I think this is a bit much..."

"...There's self-respecting otakus?" asked Rocket Warrior.

"Z-METAL TANK! COMBAT VEHICLE! POWER UP!"

From the beach, the final battle machine rose up out of the sand and rolled forward at top speed.

In seconds, all five Vehicles were in sight as they met up and began charging Ryu Kokki together.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300

Ryu Kokki glowed with more dark power than ever.

Ryu Kokki: 43400/42400

"Okay, Combat Vehicles... LIGHT HIM UP!" CV thrust his fist forward to launch at the attack. The five Vehicles charged their weapons to fire.

"The final rule is now in effect," said Ryu Kokki. Immediately, the weapons powered down and went silent. Much to CV's dismay, W, X, and Y even set down on the ground.

"What?! But... What's going on?!" He turned to Ryu Kokki, demanding an explanation.

"It's simple," said Ryu Kokki. "The final rule states that when you summon your Vehicles, they will come... but not as holograms... They come as the true versions from the monster world. Not alive... Merely machines... Machines that must be PILOTED." He chuckled. "And don't think about sacrificing them, either. You cannot, since they are not living beings. Sacrificial magic will not work on them in this shadow game."

CV growled, glaring at Ryu Kokki with deep hatred.

"Granted, you could pilot one yourself, but never all five. And I'd annihilate your choice the moment you'd attack me with it, an act that would mean your instant demise." Ryu Kokki laughed, long and loud. "You've just been removed from this battle, Warrior!"

Without another word, the villain tuned his back on CV and the Vehicles to focus on Yugi and his Dark Paladin.

"It's just you and me now, Pharaoh," he said, gleefully. "And soon, it will be only ME."

Clenching his fists, CV cursed his own impulsiveness.

'I can't let him fight alone! Individually, they're not much, but maybe I can still help Yugi by piloting one like I did back in Monster World! Even if it means biting the big one, I'll have to risk it... The world's at stake.'

"I don't believe it..." said Ami. "This can't be happening."

"Yugi's on his own now," said Tristan. "That stupid-!"

Nat watched silently. There had to be a way to win this fight... She just had to think of it.

CV looked at the Vehicles.

"I have to choose carefully," he said out loud to himself. "Even though I'll probably get killed... THIS FIGHT ISN'T OVER YET!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Ninja Pact! The Ways of Honor!


	45. Ninja Pact! The Ways of Honor!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The battle between Magyk and Poison reached a stunning conclusion, as Magyk realized that Poison was working against Ramesus. Taking a gamble, he threw the duel and was banished to the Realm... only for Ramesus to then reveal to Poison that he already knew Poison was a traitor! Stripping Poison of his shadow powers, Ramesus revealed that Hikari was next on his list. At the same time, McMike and Kuno made their move, confronting Void and setting into motion another piece of Ramesus' plan. In the Shadow Realm, Ashes found herself confronted by what remained of Sonny, Carly, and Blaze. Finally, outside the Academy, the battle against Ryu Kokki quickly revealed itself as a trap, and CyberV found out that his trusted Vehicles needed to be piloted, a revelation that all but removed him from the battle, leaving Yugi to possibly face Ryu Kokki alone...

* * *

Ryu Kokki chuckled loudly, his laughter coming off like rolling thunder, signaling the doom that awaited all who opposed him.

Ryu Kokki: 43400/42400

Thanks to the rules of this Shadow Game, which he only deemed necessary to reveal as it went along, he was stronger than any monster that the Warrior and the Pharaoh could hope to bring to bear.

Dark Paladin (w/dragon power) : 6400/2400

Kuriboh (and clones): 300/200

And then there was the Warrior... Trapped with his five precious Vehicles on the battlefield, and no way to get them operational. With him removed from the conflict for the moment, his victory was assured.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500

X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500

Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600

Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300

Truly, this would be a glorious day for darkness.

On the ground below, it was looking grim.

"This is bad," muttered Yami Yugi. "Dark Paladin's no match for that creature, and CyberV's reduced to just using spells and traps. We might not be able to pull this one off, Yugi."

'We have to,' said the true Yugi, inside their shared mind. 'If we fail, the entire planet's going to be under Ramesus's power!'

Watching from the sidelines, still protected by the wall of Kuriboh, Joey clenched his fists.

"This bites! There's gotta be somethin' we can do ta help!"

"I don't see anything," muttered Rex. "If we get in the way, Ryu Kokki'll crush us like ants."

"And the same will happen if we stand here and do nothing," said Nat. "I'd rather go down fighting."

"I'd rather not go down at all," said Tristan. "Any thoughts?"

"I've got one," said Ami. "But... LOOK!" She pointed towards the battle. CV was running towards the Vehicles, intent on getting back into the battle.

"Looks like he made his choice," said Nat. "I just hope it's the right one."

As he ran for the Vehicles, CV scowled. 'I probably won't last more than a few minutes, but it doesn't matter. If I can buy Yugi the time he needs to figure out a solution, it's worth giving it everything I've got!" The hatch to his selected Vehicle opened up, and he rushed inside.

'Hang on, Yugi! I'm on my way!'

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 45: Ninja Pact! The Ways of Honor!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, McMike, and UnrighteousVoid

* * *

Inside the school, another long-overdue confrontation was taking place. As he heard the sounds of battle all around him, Void scowled. Standing before him was his once and former best friend, McMike, and his wayward sister Kuno.

Both had betrayed him. Both had turned on him.

And now, with the entire Academy at war, it was entirely possible that he was about to lose them forever.

"So, it seems we're approaching the endgame." Void said it with resignation in his voice. There was no pretending that a battle wasn't in the immediate future.

"It seems so," said McMike.

"It should be interesting," said Kuno. "A world where we're the rulers. You could still join us, you know..."

"No." He said, just a bit too sharply. "I gave my word I'd protect this school."

"You also once gave me your word that we'd be friends forever," said McMike.

"You betrayed me."

"Or did you betray me?" responded the evil duelist. "Either way, the result is the same. We're on opposite sides... Frankly, I find it distasteful. We were always such a strong team."

"Then let's have a wager on this duel," said Void. "For old time's sake. Instead of the loser vanishing... The winner decides the fate of the loser. If you win, I'll... help you."

"Interesting..."

Kuno grinned.

"But if I win," continued Void, "You BOTH help me save this school from Ramesus."

Kuno stopped grinning, and swallowed, worried. "Betray Ramesus? He'd annihilate us in an instant!"

"Then McMike had better win," said Void. His disk, already activated, set his counter.

Void: 8000

McMike inserted his deck into his disk, which extended to play mode.

McMike: 8000

"DUEL!"

Each drew five cards.

"I'll get this duel started," said McMike as he drew a sixth card. "And I'll begin with two cards facedown." Two holocards appeared before him. "And a monster in defense mode." A third appeared. "That's all for now."

Void drew a card. "The first rule of the ninja: Never let the opponent know what you're up to. Right?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll follow suit." He placed two cards into his magic slots. "Two cards facedown." They appeared on the field.

"I think not!" said McMike as he tapped a button on his disk. "Mystical Space Typhoon will destroy one of your facedown cards! And I choose the one on the left!" A whirlwind burst forth from the card as it rose up, striking the facedown card and lifting it into the air before shattering it.

Void smirked. "Thanks. I was hoping you'd waste your time destroying my Stumbling card. Did you forget that misdirection is a ninja's best weapon?"

"So it was a decoy, eh? Clever."

"Yes. Now I'll place one monster facedown and end my turn." A holocard appeared before him.

"DRAW!" McMike took his card. "You should have destroyed my monster when you had the chance, old friend," he said. "FLIP REVEAL! White Ninja!" McMike's facedown monster materialized from the card he'd been hiding under, revealing a white-garbed ninja.

White Ninja: 1500/800

"And doing so activates his special ability... He can destroy your facedown monster!" As he said it, White Ninja threw several Kunai blades, which pierced Void's facedown monster card. From within it, D.D. Warrior Lady appeared and shattered.

'Not good,' thought Void. 'I'm wide open!'

"And since our decks are so similar... here's my OWN D.D. Warrior Lady!" A new armored woman appeared, a twin to the one just destroyed.

D.D. Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"Now attack Void directly with Ninja Strike and Valkyrie Blade!" Immediately, the two warriors leapt. White Ninja threw Shuriken which struck Void in the chest, just before Warrior Lady slashed at his midsection. The twin attacks knocked Void backwards, but, refusing to fall, he braced himself against the wall.

Void: 5000

McMike: 8000

"Not... bad... But still not enough to make me join you!" He drew a card. "I summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke!" A mechanical ninja appeared, ready for battle.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"Now attack his White Ninja with Grand Shuriken!" Sasuke let loose, flinging several throwing stars towards White Ninja. As they struck White Ninja, the monster vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared in the adjacent slot. "WHAT?!"

Void: 5000

McMike: 7700

"Sorry, old friend, but you forgot about my facedown card: Ninjitsu Art of Decoy! With this card on the field, a ninja on my side can't be destroyed in battle. I'm afraid you'll have to do MUCH better than that if you want to avoid life on the dark side."

"Don't worry. I will."

"I doubt it!" McMike drew. "Perfect. I play Snatch Steal!" His newly drawn card appeared on the field. "This forces us to exchange monsters on the field, and I want your Grandmaster!"

"I hate to disappoint you," said Void, "but he's not on the field anymore! REVEAL FACEDOWN CARD: NINJITSU ART OF TRANSFORMATION!" In response, Sasuke began making hand signs. "BIG KOALA!" Another burst of smoke gave way to reveal that Sasuke was gone, replaced by a massive koala bear.

Big Koala: 2700/2000

Snatch Steal shattered.

"Thanks to this card, not only is Snatch Steal cancelled out, but my Grandmaster's given way to a much more powerful creature."

"But not powerful enough!" retorted McMike. "D.D. WARRIOR LADY! ATTACK NOW WITH DIMENSION-BANISHING SLASH!" D.D. Warrior Lady's blade glowed as she leapt forward, ready to attack Big Koala. The massive animal looked up just in time for the blade to strike it in the head... and shatter.

Void: 5000

McMike: 6500

The shards of the blade began spinning around, swirling, engulfing both D.D. Warrior Lady and Big Koala. There was a massive flash of light... and both vanished.

"No doubt you remember her special ability," said McMike. "When she battles, she and the monster she fights get removed from play."

Void scowled. 'Not good. I'm wide open again!'

"WHITE NINJA!" ordered McMike. "WHITE SHURIKEN!" White Ninja struck again with more blades, hitting Void and putting him further behind.

Void: 3500

McMike: 6500

"You should give up now, old friend," said McMike. "Save yourself the humiliation of defeat. Admit it... You've gone soft since you joined the Good Duelists. Used to be you'd never have gotten so sloppy."

Void growled as he drew. 'If I don't turn this around fast,' he thought, 'I'll have to help Ramesus take over the world!'

* * *

Ryu Kokki roared as Dark Paladin took another swing at him, managing to scratch the behemoth.

Ryu Kokki: 37000/42400

"ENOUGH!" His voice alone was enough to make all present shudder, just a little. "All you're doing is ANNOYING ME!"

'He's right!' realized Yugi. 'At this rate, the Academy will be demolished before we can bring either his attack or defense points to zero! And any time we summon a monster, he just gets stronger!'

'There's more,' thought Atem. 'The strain of connecting with you through the spirit world... It's starting to take it's toll on me! The longer this goes on... The more we use our combined energies... The weaker we'll become!'

'And that's just what Ramesus wants,' realized Yugi. 'With us out of the way, it's down to CyberV and the kids!'

'But abandoning this fight isn't an option,' thought Atem. 'If we exhaust ourselves, we'll just have to have faith in our new friends that they'll be able to win the day.'

They watched as Dark Paladin barely dodged a swipe from Ryu Kokki's massive hand.

"But we still need a new strategy..."

"BANZAI!" The voice, crying out, startled Yugi and Atem from their discussion. They turned just in time to see a blue and gold streak slam into Ryu Kokki's arm, knocking it away from Dark Paladin, saving the monster from being destroyed by another swipe.

Ryu Kokki: 35400/42400

"Did ya miss me?" The streak slowed down as it passed the monster, revealing V-Tiger Jet, which roared. It was in cat mode, claws extended, ready for a fight.

Inside the cockpit, CV gave Yugi a salute.

"Yes, I did," said Yami Yugi. "Welcome back."

"Glad to be here."

Ryu Kokki scoffed. "That pathetic little toy of your's is no match for me! I can crush it any time I choose!"

"Let's put that to the test then, shall we?" CV readied the controls. "HYPERSONIC TIGER SPRINT!" V-Tiger Jet blazed forward, moving faster than Ryu Kokki could see. It passed the creature once... then suddenly again from the other direction... And twice more, crisscrossing so quickly that the only indication that Ryu Kokki was taking hits was his steadily decreasing attack points.

Ryu Kokki: 29000/42400

"No way!" exclaimed Joey. "Four direct hits in just two seconds! I hate ta say it, but that cat rules!"

"Yeah," admitted Nat. "That's actually impressive."

"Never underestimate a Japanese mecha," said Ami, sagely.

Tristan and Rex sweatdropped. "Okay..."

"Child... IT ENDS NOW! DARK SHADOW SNARE!" Ryu Kokki's massive shadow suddenly came to life, forming tendrils of darkness that began to whip around.

"TRANSFORMATION! JET MODE!" CV hit the transformation control, and V-Tiger Jet crouched down, becoming a flying machine. As the tendrils reached V-Tiger Jet, it took off, beginning to bob and weave around the attacks.

"Fine," said Ryu Kokki. "You're fast and maneuverable. I'll admit you chose your final monster well. But it still won't save you." Ryu Kokki turned away from V-Tiger Jet and pointed towards the Academy. The wall of Kuribohs cringed. "Now you have a choice. Continue to dodge my attacks and watch as I reduce this Academy to rubble... Or take the hit yourself and buy them a few extra moments with which they can say their goodbyes."

CV grit his teeth. 'There's no choice!' Reluctantly, V-Tiger Jet flew around and lowered itself between the villain and the school, turning back to cat mode as it landed. "Fine. Happy?"

"Very," said Ryu Kokki. "Of course, my attack will probably incinerate your friends and the Academy as well..." His hand began to burn with black fire.

"NO!" shouted Yugi. "DE-FUSION!" Yugi played the spell card, and Dark Paladin separated into Buster Blader and Dark Magician.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

Buster Blader: 2600/2300

Ryu Kokki: 34100/46800

"THERE'S NO CHOICE!" said Yugi, as Ryu Kokki fired his attack. "I SACRIFICE DARK MAGICIAN, BUSTER BLADER, AND KURIBOH!" All three vanished, taking the protective wall of Kuriboh with them. "AND SUMMON THE ALMIGHTY WINGED DRAGON OF RA!" Yugi glowed with golden light as he slammed the God Card onto his duel disk.

Ryu Kokki watched with glee as the blast that would annihilate so many enemies streaked forward.

"THIS IS IT!" shouted Joey, sure he was about to join Tea.

And all at once, holy flames were EVERYWHERE. Ryu Kokki cursed as the flames blocked his attack. The gang looked up to see the flames were shielding them from harm. CV, in the cockpit, blinked and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, THAT was good timing."

The flames looked up at Ryu Kokki and growled menacingly.

"NO! It's a monster! But I gained no power from it's summoning!" He backed off, confused.

"It's simple," said Yami Yugi, chuckling. "Meet the Winged Dragon of Ra, my most powerful God Card. In his Phoenix Mode, he cannot be destroyed... and since his original attack and defense are zero, you gain nothing from his appearance, save a new enemy to confront!" The flaming beast rose up, transforming to it's normal form and roaring defiantly to the entire world.

Winged Dragon of Ra: 5400/4600

"And he gained all the attack and defense points of the monsters used to summon him as well. Too bad for you."

"Looks like we've got the advantage now," said CV. "LET'S TAKE HIM!"

As V-Tiger Jet leapt forward to rejoin the fight, Ami looked and saw that all the Kuriboh were gone. "COME ON!" she said. "We've got to help them!"

"You said you had an idea before," said Nat. "What did you have in mind?"

Ami glanced towards the four remaining Combat Vehicles.

Nat sweatdropped. "I had to ask..."

* * *

"You're not going to hurt him... Are you?" asked Bubble.

"No," said Ramesus as they watched the struggling Poison. "But he'll bear witness to my greatest triumphs, helpless to stop me. Such is the fate of traitors."

"Can't you reconsider?" asked Toil. "I mean, make him swear loyalty or something?"

"Even if I wanted to," sad Poison, "And I DON'T... I doubt he'd trust me."

"Too true," admitted Ramesus. "You've proven a most annoying gnat."

"But we-" started Trouble.

"SILENCE!" shouted Ramesus, quieting the three girls. "I have some business to attend to for the next few minutes. Any attempt to free him will only result in you JOINING him instead... And I assure you... You wouldn't enjoy that at all..." Without another word, Ramesus turned away from them and walked into the shadows...

* * *

Ashes stepped back slowly and deliberately as the three zombified duelists came towards her. It hadn't been more than a few seconds since Sonny, Carly, and Blaze had made their presence known, but she could already tell she wasn't getting away from them without a fight.

"Relax," said Sonny. "Soon, you'll have all of eternity to search the Shadow Realm."

"Oh yes," said Carly. "Surely you'll be able to find whatever you're looking for then..."

"Less mocking," said Blaze. "More HURTING." He glared at her with hate. "I just wish I could be the one to do it to you."

"But you can't, can you?" responded Ashes, remembering how CV had given Blaze a penalty game that caused him pain when he tried to harm others. "Well in that case... That just leaves the two of you, doesn't it?" She turned her full attention to Sonny and Carly, who snickered.

"She thinks she can beat us," sighed Carly, amused.

"How sad," agreed Sonny. They stepped towards her again, with Duel Disks appearing on their arms.

"Not good," muttered Flame Sprite. "They almost beat Jay and CV with their strategy last time... And now it's two on one!"

"And soon, it'll be none on one," said Ashes as her disk extended to play mode. "Let's go!"

Ashes: 4000

Sonny: 4000

Carly: 4000

"I'll begin," said Sonny. "I summon Dark Scorpion Burglers in defense mode!" As he set the card on his disk, the five members of the Dark Scorpions appeared, crouching.

Dark Scorpion Burglars: 1000/1000

"And then, I'll play Ookazi! With this card, you automatically lose 800 life points!" As he said it, explosions erupted around Ashes, throwing her to the ground.

Ashes: 3200

Sonny: 4000

Carly: 4000

"ASHES!" shouted Flame Sprite. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine!" said Ashes as she pulled herself up. "It'll take more than that to stop me."

"Then let me take a shot at it," said Carly. "I summon Don Zaloog in attack mode!" As she said it, the criminal mastermind appeared, ready to fight.

Don Zaloog: 1400/1500

"And next I'll play Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!" The spell rose up. "This allows me to summon more of the Dark Scorpions from my hand, namely Chick the Yellow and Meanae the Thorn!" Both Burglars appeared instantly, smirking.

Chick the Yellow: 1000/1000

Meanae the Thorn: 1000/1800

"That ends my turn."

Ashes clenched her fist as she drew a card.

'Got to finish this fast! There's no telling what's happening to Jay and the others right now!' She looked at her hand. 'I've got to take one of them out quickly to even the odds! And this combo might cost me a lot of cards, but it's worth it!'

"I begin by playing Pot of Greed!" The card rose up. "Now I get to draw two new cards!" She did so, and Pot of Greed shattered. "And I'll follow up with Graceful Charity!" The second card appeared, and she drew three cards before discarding two.

"Now to play Monster Reborn!" The powerful spell rose up. "COME BACK TO ME, HORUS THE BLACK FLAME DRAGON LV6!" Black flame erupted all around her as her second most powerful dragon emerged from the graveyard where she'd just discarded it.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6: 2300/1600

"And now I'll play Level Up! This lets me evolve Horus to Level 8!" Horus was engulfed by flame and grew far larger than before.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8: 3000/1800

"...Okay, this is gonna be ugly..." Blaze winced.

"I'll also summon Ultimate Baseball Kid in attack mode!" A small child monster in a sports uniform appeared.

Ultimate Baseball Kid: 500/1000

"And now his special ability activates. For every fire monster on my field, he gains 1000 attack points!"

Ultimate Baseball Kid: 1500/1000

"But you know what?" asked Ashes. "I kinda wanna take you guys out fast and hard, so I think a field spell's needed! And it just so happens I have one... MOLTEN DESTRUCTION!" Her field spell slot opened up, and she placed her card into it. Instantly, the darkness of the Shadow Realm was replaced by an erupting volcano.

"When this card is on the field, fire monsters lose 400 defense points, but gain 500 attack!"

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8: 3500/1400

Ultimate Baseball Kid: 2000/600

"BASEBALL KID! HAMMER CHICK THE YELLOW! FLAMING STRIKEOUT!" Baseball Kid nodded and swung his bat at a flaming baseball that appeared before him. It connected with a KRAK! and sent the sphere into Chick, who shattered.

Ashes: 3200

Sonny: 4000

Carly: 3000

"Blast you..." Carly growled. "You'll pay for that!"

"I'm not the idiot that summoned those losers in attack mode, now am I?" retorted Ashes. "HORUS! SUPREME BLACK FLAME! Destroy Meanae!" Horus breathed fire, striking Meanae and incinerating the female monster.

Ashes: 3200

Sonny: 4000

Carly: 500

"Now I'll place three cards facedown and end my turn," said Ashes as three face downs appeared behind her monsters.

"Then it's my turn!" said Sonny as he drew. "And I think it's time we got down and dirty." He smirked. "I play Effect Blocker!" The spell arose on the field. "And now I select monster, spell, or trap, and you lose the ability to use the effects of one for one turn!"

"I don't think so!" said Ashes. "Horus can block that from activating!"

"Not this time," said Sonny. "See, this card's ironically immune to effects that would prevent it's activation. And all it costs me is 500 life points!"

Ashes: 3200

Sonny: 3500

Carly: 500

"And now, I'll negate all monster effects on your side of the field."

Effect blocker glowed as it took effect.

Ultimate Baseball Kid: 1000/600

"And since Horus can't block spells now... EAT SOME METEOR OF DESTRUCTION! TWO OF THEM!" He slammed two of the supremely powerful spell down, and twin meteors blazed in, slamming down on either side of Ashes, blowing her off her feet and to the ground.

"ASHES!" screamed Flame Sprite. "NO!"

Ashes: 1200

Sonny: 3500

Carly: 500

"How's it feel?" asked Blaze. "How's it feel to know you're about to experience an eternity of nightmares? To know that you're almost finished? To know that you've failed the people you care about?"

"I'm... Not beaten... YET!" said Ashes as she painfully and gingerly pulled herself to her feet, exhausted from the brutal punishment. "And I'm not gonna lose to you! REVEAL TRAP CARD! SPIRITUAL FIRE ART-KURENAI!" Her first facedown rose up. "This trap card lets me sacrifice one fire monster on the field, and inflict it's original attack onto the life points of an opponent! Horus, I love you, but right now, I need your strength! Sacrifice yourself to hit Sonny hard!" The magic circle emanated from the trap card and surrounded Horus. The monster glowed, becoming a spirit, before flying towards Sonny.

"NO!"

"Yes." said Ashes as it struck Sonny head on.

Ashes: 1200

Sonny: 500

Carly: 500

Staggered, Sonny managed to stay on his feet. "Nice shot. But not good enough! And you're weak enough now that one direct attack will finish you! So now, I'll switch my Burglars to attack mode!" The five Burglars stood up. "SACRIFICE ATTACK! DESTROY BASEBALL KID!"

The Scorpions nodded and leapt forward, even as Baseball Kid readied his bat. As the Burglars came in for a landing, all involved swung their weapons, creating a massive explosion that wiped out both monster cards.

"And now Carly can finish you off," said Sonny, smirking.

"I doubt that," said Ashes as the smoke cleared, revealing that the second of her face downs had revealed itself. "You just activated my Backfire trap card! Now, whenever one of my fire monsters is destroyed, the person that does it loses 500 life points!"

Sonny's eyes widened as a fissure opened up under him from the volcanic battleground, spewing lava onto him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

Ashes: 1200

Sonny: 0

Carly: 500

"SONNY!" screamed Carly as she watched her love sink into the magma. Growling, she turned to Ashes with hate-filled eyes. "You're HISTORY!" She drew. "DIRECT ATTACK!" Don Zaloog leapt forward to finish Ashes off.

"No," said Ashes. "You're the one that's finished. Again. I reveal my final facedown card! Call of the Haunted! With it, I revive Horus LV6!" Bursting forth from the volcano, the mighty dragon roared back to life.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6: 2800/1200

Ashes: 400

Carly: 500

His attack forcefully redirected, Don Zaloog shattered against Horus's wing.

Ashes: 400

Carly: 0

"You lose," said Ashes as Carly's life points vanished. Immediately, the volcano erupted, burying a now screaming Carly in magma and ash. As the volcano faded away, so did whatever remained of the two evil duelists.

Backing away, Blaze just stared at Ashes. "Umm... Maybe later?" The zombie turned and ran for his afterlife.

"Should we go after him?" asked Flame Sprite.

"No. He's harmless," said Ashes. "We'd better get moving before anybody else shows up!"

Even as she said it, the entire area seemed to grow even darker than before.

"Ummm... I think it's already a little late..." said a very frightened Sprite.

Ashes turned and looked up. In a terrified, quiet voice, all she could think to say was "I think you might be right..."

* * *

Void: 3500

McMike: 6500

"My move!" said Void. "And I'll start by playing the Warrior Returning Alive!" The spell card rose up. "This lets me take a warrior card in my grave and add it to my hand!" His graveyard ejected Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke.

"Now I'll summon my Grandmaster all over again!" Sasuke reappeared, ready for battle.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"Now I'll equip him with the spell card Fuhma Shuriken! This will increase his attack by 700 points!" The card appeared and transformed into a massive shuriken that Grandmaster grabbed.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 2500/1000

"VOID!" shouted Kuno. "STOP THIS! If you join us, you don't have to vanish like the rest!"

"I'd rather vanish than be forced to betray my friends. ATTACK WHITE NINJA!" Grandmaster threw the massive shuriken at White Ninja, who vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared in the next monster slot.

Void: 3500

Mcmike: 5500

"Sorry, but Ninjitsu Art of Decoy is still in effect," said McMike. "White Ninja's not going anywhere."

"But your Grandmaster IS!" McMike drew. "I summon my OWN Grandmaster Sasuke!" A second Grandmaster appeared.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke 2: 1800/1000

"And I equip him with Fusion Sword Murasume Blade!" The blade appeared on the Grandmaster's arm. "Too bad for you, but MY equip's stronger than YOUR'S."

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke 2: 2600/1000

"DESTROY HIM WITH FUSION SLASH!" The second Sasuke leapt forward and slashed through his counterpart. The first Grandmaster exploded, but not before throwing his shuriken, which struck McMike.

"Yeah, you won that exchange, but you activated the Shuriken's second ability... When it's destroyed, it takes away 700 of your life points!"

Void: 3400

McMike: 4800

"It doesn't matter. You're still wide open! White Ninja! Direct attack!" In the blink of an eye, Void felt a kunai lodge itself in his shoulder. He winced in pain as his life points took a hit.

Void: 1900

McMike: 4800

"That's all for now. I hope your next move's better than your last."

"We'll see!" Void drew.

"Okay, let's try this again! I use another copy of the Warrior Returning Alive to help me resummon my D.D.Warrior Lady!" As soon as the card ejected from his graveyard, he slammed it onto his disk, and the female warrior reappeared.

D.D. Warrior Lady: 1500/1600

"And now to deal with your ninjas! I play Snatch Steal!" The spell card rose up. "This card lets me take one monster on your side of the field and make it my own. The downside is that you gain 1000 points during each of your standby phases. But I think I'm still coming out ahead on the deal. Especially since I take your Grandmaster!"

"NO!" McMike watched in horror as Grandmaster vanished from his side of the field and reappeared on Void's... complete with the Fusion Sword.

"Now to get rid of White Ninja! WARRIOR LADY! SELF SACRIFICING ATTACK!" The female warrior readied her blade and attacked White Ninja, who met her charge... before both warped out of existence.

Mcmike bit back a curse as his Decoy card shattered.

"Of course..." Kuno sighed. "Since White Ninja couldn't be destroyed, he removed it from play instead. Clever."

McMike glared at her. "WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?!?!"

She sweatdropped. "Sorry..."

"Not as sorry as HE'S gonna be," said Void. "GRANDMASTER! DIRECT ATTACK!" The ninja slashed it's former master, turning the tide in the Good Duelist's favor.

Void: 1900

Mcmike: 2200

"That ends my turn," said Void.

"And that means the second effect of Snatch Steal begins!" said McMike as his life points increased.

Void: 1900

McMike: 3200

McMike drew and looked at his new card. "I play the spell Stumbling!" The card rose up on the field. "Now every monster summoned must be in defense mode!"

"Not a problem," said Void.

"Then maybe THIS will change your tune! One card facedown... and that's all." The facedown appeared.

'Is it a spell or a trap?' wondered Void. 'No matter. I have to end this soon, before there's no one left to fight for!'

"DRAW!" Void did so. "I summon one monster facedown." He did so, a card appearing on the field. "And now... DIRECT ATTACK!" Again Grandmaster leapt forward and slashed McMike.

Void: 1900

McMike: 600

"That's it for the moment."

"Very well." McMike drew. "And now my life points climb back up."

Void: 1900

McMike: 1600

"Now to do something about my traitorous Grandmaster." McMike grinned. "I play Lightning Vortex!" The spell rose up. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy all your monsters on the field!" He sent his Big Koala to the grave, and lightning lashed out, shattering Sasuke and the Fusion Sword.

"But that's all I'll do for now." He chuckled. Their life points were nearly equal. Whatever happened next would be interesting.

"I draw!" Void did so. "I summon Sasuke Samurai #4 in defense mode!" A Pac Manesque samurai appeared, kneeling.

Sasuke Samurai #4: 1200/1200

"And one card facedown." A holocard appeared. "That's all."

McMike drew, and immediately placed his new card in the spell zone. "And I shall set one card as well." The facedown card appeared. "That is all."

Void reached for his deck. 'I don't have any cards in my hand. Whatever I draw had better be good!' He drew, and smiled. "I SUMMON SWIFT GAIA THE FIERCE KNIGHT!" The upgraded Gaia appeared on the field... and immediately crouched down.

Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight: 2300/2100

"Sorry, but as impressive as special summoning Swift Gaia with his effect can be, he's still subject to Stumbling, and that means he sits this round out." McMike chuckled derisively.

"That's quite all right," said Void. "Because my Samurai won't! I switch Sasuke Samurai #4 to attack mode! DIRECT ATTACK!" Standing up and wielding a pike, the small warrior glared at McMike and threw his weapon, which passed through the surprised Evil Duelist.

Void: 1900

McMike: 400

"MCMIKE! STOP THIS!" Void shouted. "I can't allow you to continue to serve that psychotic madman!"

"And I can't let you stand in his way!" He shrugged off the attack.

"Very well," said Void. "Make your move, old friend."

"I will!" Mcmike drew. "I summon another Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke in defense mode!" Another copy of the ninja appeared on the field.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"That's all."

"My move!" Void drew. "I switch Swift Gaia to attack mode!" The Knight and steed ceased to crouch. "Now, Samurai! Attack his Grandmaster!" The small samurai nodded and threw his pike... which lodged in a tree trunk that suddenly took the Grandmaster's place.

"Sorry, but my facedown? It was another Ninjitsu Art of Decoy. Your attack was useless."

"Maybe not. Sasuke Samurai has a powerful special ability. I flip a coin, and if I call it right, the monster he battled with is destroyed!" A coin appeared in the air. "I call heads!" The coin fell to the ground... on tails.

"Looks like it's not your lucky day," sneered McMike. He drew. "I switch my Grandmaster to attack mode, and equip him with an old favorite... my Fusion Sword!" The monster's arm again became a blade.

Kuno sweatdropped. "...I feel like I'm watching reruns."

Void nodded. "Yeah. This is worse than all those Magyk and Poison matches..."

"WOULD YOU TWO STOP CHATTING?!?!" McMike shouted to regain Void's attention.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 2600/1000

"NOW DESTROY GAIA!" Again, Sasuke lashed out, and Swift Gaia erupted.

Void: 1600

McMike: 1600

"And now to make you see the light," said McMike. "SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!" The spell card appeared and blades of light rained down, fencing in all of McMike's creatures. His facedown monster flipped itself face up, revealing White Ninja.

White Ninja: 1500/800

"As you well know, when this card is in play, you can't attack me for three turns. Too bad. So sad. And now I have the time I need to amass an army to annihilate you!"

"An army, huh? I doubt it. The way we've been drawing the same cards the entire duel, I think it's far more likely that you'll-"

"Bore me to sleep?" interjected Kuno.

Void sweatdropped. "NOT what I was going for, but that works too."

"STOP HELPING HIM!" shouted McMike.

"Well I can't help it. Ninjas are cool and all, but this is getting boring."

"You mean a duel where you either get your brother or we all wind up in the Shadow Realm is BORING YOU?!"

Kuno considered that for a minute. "Yes."

McMike flopped.

Chuckling, Void drew. "Sasuke Samurai to defense mode, and that's all."

Recovering, McMike drew. ""I play Graceful Charity! I'd explain what it does, but I can't help but feel like it was already established in this episode!"

He drew three and discarded two.

"Did he just-?" started Kuno.

"Try not to dwell on it," advised Void. "I hear Jay's cousin does the same thing."

"One card facedown, and that's all." said McMike as a holocard appeared.

Void drew and scowled. "I pass."

"A pity. I'd hoped for more." McMike drew. "I summon my OWN Sasuke Samurai #4!" Another copy of the samurai appeared, crouching.

Sasuke Samurai #4 2: 1200/1200

"And now my Grandmaster will attack! Destroy White Ninja!" Grandmaster lashed out, and White Ninja shattered.

"I'll continue my onslaught later."

"Still waiting on that army..." muttered Void. He drew. "I play Reinforcement of the Army!" The spell card rose up. "This lets me add a level 4 or lower warrior monster to my hand, and then I get to shuffle my deck!" He chose his card and then reshuffled. "I summon another Sasuke Samurai #4!" Again, the small monster appeared, crouching.

Sasuke Samurai #4 3: 1200/1200

"That's it." The swords faded away.

Mcmike drew. "Oh, this is gonna be FUN..."

"Yay." said Kuno, blandly.

Feeling a vein in his forehead throb, McMike made his move. "I switch my Samurai to attack mode... and I think I'll have him go after one of YOUR'S!" His Samurai targeted the newly summoned one. Leaping into the air, it readied it's pike.

"You just activated his special ability!" The coin reappeared. "HEADS!"

It landed tails.

"Oh come ON!" The pike slashed through the first Samurai, destroying it.

"That's MY line," said McMike. "You couldn't call that coin if your future depended on it. Oh, wait..."

Void scowled and drew. "I play Earthquake!" The ground trembled as a spell card appeared. The shift affected all of McMike's monsters, forcing them to crouch down. "And that puts all the monsters on the field in defense mode!"

McMike growled softly.

"Now I'll switch my Samurai to attack mode... and see if I can't prove you wrong about coin calling!" Samurai stood up. "GO! ATTACK GRANDMASTER!" The Samurai leapt into the air and the coin appeared. "HEADS!" The coin landed in front of McMike... Heads up.

"Uh oh."

The pike flew through the air, piercing Grandmaster and shattering him and the Fusion Sword.

"That's more like it!" said Void. "Now I'll summon Strike Ninja and end my turn!" A new ninja appeared, crouching.

Strike Ninja: 1700/1200

'Sigh...' thought Kuno. 'I need a break from this before I fall asleep...'

* * *

Growling, Ryu Kokki turned away from Ra.

"Since I cannot destroy your monster," he said to Yugi. "I shall settle for annihilating YOU. You don't DARE move him to protect you, because you know I'll attack the school."

"You're right," said Yugi. "But I'm also not helpless!" He slammed three cards onto his monster zones. "I SUMMON GRIFFORE, FERAL IMP, AND HORN IMP!" The three monsters appeared between himself and Ryu Kokki.

Griffore: 1200/1500

Feral Imp: 1300/1400

Horn Imp: 1300/1000

Ryu Kokki: 37900/50700

"And now I'll sacrifice all three," said Yugi as lightning flashed and thunder boomed, "to summon the almighty OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" Yugi refreshed his hand as the three creatures vanished, making way for the massive creature that dropped from the clouds. Fearsome beyond description, the mighty God glared balefully at Ryu Kokki.

Obelisk the Tormentor: 4000/4000

Ryu Kokki: 41900/54700

"Ah, finally, a real monster to crush." Ryu Kokki chuckled... right until V-Tiger Jet leapt onto his back and clamped it's claws into his flesh.

Ryu Kokki: 40300/54700

"Don't forget about me, Sparky," warned CV. "This cat's got claws!"

Furious, Ryu Kokki began to sway his massive bulk, trying to toss off the monster riding his back.

"YEEHAW! Ride 'em, Duelist!" said CV in a perversely amused tone. "Then again..." Without further warning, V-Tiger Jet let go of Ryu Kokki... Just in time for Obelisk to punch the monster in the gut.

Ryu Kokki: 36300/54700

Gasping, Ryu Kokki roared in sheer rage.

"That's the last straw! WARRIOR! YOUR LIFE ENDS NOW!" Dark flames burst to life in Ryu Kokki's hands. The monster turned from Obelisk to advance on the mechanical feline and the duelist riding within. "Embrace oblivion."

Which is when he was suddenly bombarded by multiple attacks.

Ryu Kokki: 30200/54700

All eyes turned towards the direction of the attacks, and CV felt a grin almost split his face.

"No. They WOULDN'T..." Ryu Kokki was astonished.

Yugi smirked. "I should have guessed."

Still grinning ear to ear, CV opened communications... to the other four Combat Vehicles. As his viewscreen activated, he saw Nat, Ami, Joey and Tristan at the controls.

"Oh, this is too good to be true," he said.

Nat, flying the Y-Dragon Head, gave him a stare that would have curdled cheese. "When this is over, we NEVER speak of this again. Got it?"

"yes ma'am."

"Don't let her fool you," said Ami, aboard W-Wing Catapult. "The second she saw it was just like a military jet, she practically drooled."

"Hey, I don't drool."

"Fine. You salivated immensely."

"Can we please can the idle chatter?" asked Tristan from the Z-Metal Tank. "There's a giant ugly freak looking to blow the school up."

"I'm up for a fight," said Joey from X-Head Cannon. "Man, this is just like a video game! Now I see why that jerk Kaiba liked this card so much!"

"Tristan's right," said CV. "But are you guys sure you want to do this? You're placing your lives in danger."

"And so were you," said Nat. "We've fought side by side all year... Did you really expect me to sit on the sidelines when the entire planet's at stake?"

"I... I guess not," said CV.

On the ground, Rocket Warrior sighed. "Man, I never get to do the cool stuff." The two dragons just gave him a look.

Watching them, Rex sighed. "Good luck, Ami..."

"Okay then," said CV. "We've gotta stop Ryu Kokki, but since he keeps switching from defense to attack at the drop of a hat, it could take hours to stop him, and that's assuming we can stay in the fight that long. Our only chance is to combine and force him into a single mode that we can hammer away at."

"Combine?" asked Tristan. "You mean-"

"Yeah," said Nat. "He does, and he's right. I hate to admit it, but we need his 'Megazord' to finish this creep off. So let's just get it over with before he has a fanboy breakdown."

"Man, I can just feel the love in these cockpits..." muttered CV as he removed the five vehicles from his duel disk. "XYZ DRAGON CANNON! COMBINE!" He slammed the fusion monster onto his duel disk.

In response, a portal opened atop Z-Metal Tank as Y-Dragon Head lost it's wings and opened a portal of it's own. Practically a mecha sandwich, the three landed atop one another, forming a powerful new monster.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon: 2800/2600

Ryu Kokki: 33000/57300

"Ami," said CV. "You ready?"

"Born ready," said Ami. "This is a dream come true!"

"Okay then... DRIVE CHANGE GO!" V-Tiger Jet switched to flight mode.

"DRIVE CHANGE GO!" W-Wing Catapult split into two.

The two mecha flew together, uniting. Ami's cockpit seat slid upwards into CV's.

"VW-TIGER CATAPULT... TWIN DRIVE!"

VW-Tiger Catapult: 2000/2100

Joey sweatdropped. "I don't even WANNA know."

"You two need therapy." added Tristan.

Ryu Kokki: 35000/59400

"Okay then," said Nat. "We're halfway there."

"Right. Yugi, cover us!"

"Of course," said Yugi as Obelisk moved to keep Ryu Kokki from interfering with the transformation.

"NO!" shouted Ryu Kokki. "THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"

"Which is why we're not wasting time," said CV. "Ready to form Dragon Catapult Cannon! Activate interlocks. Dynotherms connected. Infracells up. Megathrusters are go!"

"WE'RE NOT SAYING IT!" shouted Nat and Tristan.

"Kid, when this is over, I'm gonna pound you SO HARD!" A vein on Joey's head was throbbing and he was clenching a fist.

Ami shrugged. "I thought it was funny."

VW-Tiger Catapult split into three sections as XYZ launched off of it's treads. X-Head quickly grabbed the treads as they folded out, and W-Wing Catapult's two sections attached to the bottom of the Z-Metal Tank. Y-Dragon Head's wings attached to the back of V-Tiger Jet. The Jet followed up by linking to the back of the now standing gestalt mecha.

"VWXYZ-DRAGON CATAPULT CANNON... ONLINE!"

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800

Ryu Kokki: 38000/62200

"How high up are we?" asked Tristan.

"Don't ask. You wouldn't like the answer," said CV. "Okay everyone... LET'S BLAST THIS FREAK!" The laser cannons charged on the Dragon Catapult Cannon. "SUPREME FIRESTORM!" The lasers blasted outwards towards Ryu Kokki.

"Too little and too late!" Ryu Kokki moved to counterattack, but found himself unable to summon his dark fire.

"Sorry," said CV, "but I've activated this bad boy's special ability! Now, when it attacks, I get to decide what mode YOU'RE in! And I think defense mode suits me just fine!"

Unable to counter, the blasts struck Ryu Kokki head on, driving him back.

Ryu Kokki: 38000/59200

"You see, I finally figured out why you singled out the Vehicles for your special rules. You knew that if I managed to summon the VWXYZ, you'd be defenseless against it's special ability. LIKE THIS! FIRE AGAIN!" Another blast, and once more Ryu Kokki found himself unable to fight back. He moved to dodge, but he could not evade the blast, which struck him in his side.

Ryu Kokki: 38000/56200

"And while I don't have that ability," said Yugi, "Obelisk is more than capable of dealing you some severe damage! VENGEFUL HAND OF GOD!" Obelisk swung it's massive fist, striking Ryu Kokki in the head and sending the monster reeling.

Ryu Kokki: 38000/52200

"You... will PAY for these indignities!" roared Ryu Kokki. Black fire appeared in his hands. "AND YOU'LL PAY RIGHT NOW!" He let loose the attacks. Obelisk and VWXYZ both extended their wings and launched into the air, barely dodging the attacks.

"Hey," said Joey. "Now that you can summon more monsters... Maybe now'd be a good time?"

"No," said CV. "Anything I summon would just make him stronger... But there IS something I've been itching to try. I think it's time I busted out the SIXTH Combat Vehicle."

"A sixth? But there's only five in the entire game." Ami was confused.

"She's right," said Nat. "Did Pegasus give you some exclusive new one?"

"No," said CV. "But I've had this for a while, and now seems to be the right time for it." He took a monster card from his hand and slammed it into a spell slot. "HEAVY MECH SUPPORT PLATFORM... MOBILIZE!"

For a moment, the clouds parted, revealing a new machine as it flew in, joining the battle.

"But it's not gonna make Ryu Kokki stronger... because it's a Union monster! Okay then... Support Platform! Cannon! COMBINE! BUSTER FORMATION... GO!"

Support Platform split into two sections, quickly reconfiguring into twin cannons that attached to Dragon Catapult Cannon.

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon (Buster Formation) : 3500/3300

"Buster Formation?" Joey blinked. "YOU JUST MADE THAT UP!"

"It sounded cool," said CV with a shrug. "In any case, with Support Platform attached, this bad boy gains 500 attack and defense points, and given how much we need to take away from Ryu Kokki, every little bit helps!"

Still in the air, Buster Formation drew a bead on Ryu Kokki.

"BUSTER BOMBARDMENT! FIRE!" Twin beams of white hot plasma launched from Buster Formation's cannons, striking Ryu Kokki and staggering him.

Ryu Kokki: 38000/48700

Watching from the ground, Yugi felt his deck pulse.

'I can feel something... Slifer? Is that you?' His final God Card pulsed again, sitting just below the surface of his deck. "I understand, old friend. Very well."

Lightning flashed, and Yugi refreshed his hand. "I summon Watapon, Skull Servant, and play Monster Reborn to revive Kuriboh!" The spell rose up, and three monsters appeared before Yugi.

Watapon: 200/300

Skull Servant: 300/200

Kuriboh: 300/200

Ryu Kokki: 38800/49400

"And now I sacrifice these three monsters to summon SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!" The three weak monsters vanished as a gigantic beast lowered from the sky, filling it with it's own body.

Slifer the Sky Dragon: 1000/1000

"Woah." Nat blinked, impressed.

"We could make cool entrances like that, right?" asked Rocket Warrior. Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes just shook their heads in response. "Quitters."

All eyes rose to meet the massive final God in Yugi's arsenal.

"Warrior."

Joey and Tristan sweatdropped.

"Is it me, or is the big guy talking?" asked Tristan.

"It ain't you," answered Joey.

"It's been a while," said CV. "I assume the time has come?"

"Time?" asked Nat. "You mean, the time when he'd help us fight Ramesus?"

"Yes," said Slifer, his voice booming. "Time grows short, and the darkness continues to spread. These dark clouds filling the sky around me are only one piece of the sinister puzzle that Ramesus has constructed... But first, his vile servant must be dealt with, once and for all."

Ryu Kokki sneered. "You haven't the attack points to stop me. None of you do."

"No, we do not," admitted Slifer. "At least... not YET." His eyes glowed, and both the Millennium Puzzle and the Scepter of the Balance began to glow.

"The time has come... to reveal the FOURTH God." And as Slifer said this, for all the humans present, everything went white.

* * *

"It's my move!" said McMike as he drew. "And I switch my Sasuke Samurai #4 to attack mode!" The small warrior stood up. "Now attack his Strike Ninja!" Samurai leapt into the air... and the coin appeared.

"HEADS!" The coin hit the ground heads up. "BLAST IT!" Sasuke Samurai flung his pike, but it was dodged by Strike Ninja.

"Fine. I end my turn," said McMike.

"And mine won't be long either," said Void as he drew. "I summon Lady Ninja Yae in defense mode!" A green-haired female ninja appeared, blade ready.

Lady Ninja Yae: 1100/200

"And I switch Strike Ninja to attack mode." Strike Ninja stood up. "That's it."

"And Yae won't last long, either," said McMike as he drew. "SAMURAI! DESTROY HER!" Sasuke Samurai took to the sky. "And it doesn't even matter what the coin says, does it?" asked McMike. "Tails." The coin appeared and came up heads. "Do it." The Samurai threw the pike, and it struck Yae, shattering her.

"HEY! That's my favorite ninja!" protested Kuno.

Mcmike sweatdropped. "So glad to know your priorities are straight... But that's it for this round."

"Then I'll take the opportunity," said Void as he drew, "to summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke one more time using Monster Reborn!" The spell card rose up, and the ninja warrior reappeared.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

"And that's all."

"Pity you couldn't summon your Big Koala. That might have won it for you." McMike scoffed as he drew. "You know, old friend, that this is the best match I've ever played."

"Same here," admitted Void. "Glad to see being with Ramesus hasn't made you too reliant on shadow power."

"I've NEVER relied on it!" shouted McMike. "He's made me stronger than EVER! But I've never needed to rely on a dirty trick or an outside influence to win a duel!"

"What about fear?"

McMike raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Simple. It used to be that you'd duel people for fun. A friendly match with no stakes other than bragging rights. Now look at you... A pawn of darkness. You don't duel for the enjoyment anymore... You duel to stay alive. And your opponents don't face you for the thrill of it, oh no... They do it because they're AFRAID of you and what will happen to them if they lose.

"You've corrupted everything you ever loved about the sport for the sake of power. It sickens me. And you had to go and drag my sister down with you!" He thrust his finger towards Kuno, who was taken aback.

"Hey! That's just not true!" She shrugged. "I did it to annoy you."

"It worked."

"I know." She grinned. "But now that I think about it..." She looked at the Winged Minions, ready to pounce if Void won. "This... isn't what I expected."

"No matter what the outcome is here," said Void, "we all lose. If you win, I'm forced to join you in the darkness... If I win, we all go down fighting for what's right."

"Then why fight at all?" asked McMike.

"Because I won't have my fate dictated to me. Now make your move!"

McMike looked at his hand. "It was supposed to be better than this." He placed a monster card down. "I summon Legendary Jujitsu Master in defense mode." The warrior appeared, crouching.

Legendary Jujitsu Master: 1300/1800

"And now..." McMike looked towards Sasuke Samurai #4.

'If I have him attack, he has a 50 chance of destroying Ninja Grandmaster. Once he's gone for good, it's just a matter of time before I win the duel.'

He looked into Void's eyes, and remembered the words just spoken.

'No matter what the outcome is here, we all lose. If you win, I'm forced to join you in the darkness... If I win, we all go down fighting for what's right... I won't have my fate dictated to me.'

"I end my turn," said McMike, surprising himself. "But your's had better be really impressive."

"We'll see," said Void as he drew. He smirked.

'He could have attacked, but didn't. Am I starting to get through?'

"I think it's time we cleared some space on the field! I order my Samurai to attack YOUR Samurai!" In response, both Samurai leapt into the air, pikes ready. Two coins appeared in the air.

"The way I see it, there's two outcomes here. One, whether we both call it right or wrong... and they destroy each other regardless... Or one of us calls it wrong, and that person loses their trump card while the other one survives. Should be interesting, don't you think?"

"Definitely. I'm calling tails."

"And I call heads. Now let's see to whom fate smiles." The two coins spun lazily through the air, an infinitely long wait approaching as all anticipated the outcome.

Void's landed heads. And so did McMike's.

"Looks like fate's on my side," said Void. "GO!" The two Samurai threw their pikes, but while Void's dodged, McMike's failed to do so and was skewered. Shattering, McMike felt himself breathing an unexpected sigh of relief. Now whatever fate decreed for the three of them... They would decide it themselves.

"Now go," said Void. "I get the feeling you've got a lot on your mind right now, so..."

Mcmike drew. "One card facedown and that's all." A holocard appeared. "Y'know, it's funny. I don't even MISS my Samurai."

"Good to know." Void drew. "And now to draw out your facedown! I equip Strike Ninja with Fuhma Shuriken!" The giant weapon reappeared, and Strike Ninja grabbed it.

Strike Ninja: 2400/1200

"Now attack his Master!"

"You want my facedown?" asked McMike as the shuriken was released. "Glad to oblige. SAKURETSU ARMOR!" Powerful armor appeared on Jujitsu Master. "Now the attacking monster is destroyed!" Master caught the shuriken and threw it back, striking Strike Ninja and shattering him... But even that powerful trap wasn't enough to stop the shuriken from coming back and hitting McMike.

Void: 1600

McMike: 900

"You knew I'd destroy the monster, didn't you?"

"Of course," said Void. "It's not like we haven't dueled a thousand times. Only good friends like the two of us could hope to predict each others' moves." He selected a monster card. "One monster face down." A holocard appeared. "Let's see if you can guess mine."

McMike drew. "Of course I can. One card facedown, and that's all." A card appeared before him.

"Here we go!" said Void. "I equip Sasuke Samurai with Fusion Sword Murasume Blade!" He held up the card, ready to activate it.

"Sorry, but that's not happening. SOLEMN JUDGMENT!" His facedown rose up. "Now, by paying half my life points, I can negate and destroy one effect! And I choose the Fusion Sword!" As he said it, the card in Void's hand shattered.

Void: 1600

McMike: 450

"Thanks. I was kinda hoping you'd go for the spell... INSTEAD OF THE MONSTER! REVEAL ARMED NINJA!" A sickle-wielding warrior appeared from Void's facedown card.

Armed Ninja: 300/300

"And now that he's been flipped, his special ability activates! Now he can destroy one spell card on the field!"

"...No..."

"Destroy Stumbling now!" Armed Ninja nodded and leapt into the air, swinging his sickle right through Stumbling as he landed. The holocard shattered, and the warrior returned to Void's side.

"And now I'll activate my real trump card: PREMATURE BURIAL!" The spell card appeared. "You see, old friend... I've been playing the same monsters over and over, not because I didn't have options, but because I wanted to lull you into a sense of comfort. I wanted you to forget that I had monsters other than Sasuke Samurai and Grandmaster, so you wouldn't see Armed Ninja coming. And not only that, but you've let Stumbling trap you. Your strongest monster's in defense mode, so you can't strike back as I summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke to help me end this, once and for all!" Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke reappeared.

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke: 1800/1000

Void: 800

McMike: 450

"Now attack his Jujitsu master!" Sasuke leapt to strike. "With your special ability!"

McMike's eyes went wide.

"You DO remember his special ability, right?" asked Void. "He can remove from play any monster he fights that's in face up defense mode... Just like your Jujitsu Master!" Grandmaster formed hand signs, and a portal appeared under Jujitsu Master. Against his will, the monster found himself being sucked away to another dimension.

"It's over," said Void. "You've grown to rely on power far too much... Time was we could have dueled until we ran out of cards... But your inability to guess what I was up to just goes to show how far you've fallen... AND NOW IT'S TIME TO PULL YOU BOTH BACK TO THE LIGHT! SASUKE SAMURAI... FINISH IT!"

The Samurai nodded and charged McMike, jabbing at him with his pike.

Void: 800

McMike: 0

Sasuke Samurai #4 faded away, the duel completed. McMike fell to his knees, stunned.

"No way... He... He lost." Kuno had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and turned around. She wasn't surprised to see that the Winged Minion weren't happy... Far from it.

"VOID!"

"They remember our bargain," said McMike. "They know we have to fight them now."

"But-!"

"But nothing. We gave our word. We lost, so now we help Void fight... Even if it just means joining him in the Shadow Realm."

Tears in her eyes, Kuno looked at her friend and her brother.

"It's the right thing to do, Sis," said Void as he readied his strongest monster cards.

"He's right," said Mcmike, doing the same, putting his back against Void's. "A promise is a promise."

Hesitantly, Kuno extended her disk to play mode. "I hate you guys right now, I hope you know..."

They both laughed.

"Friends to the end?" asked Void.

"To the end."

And with no more words needing to be said, the Minion came...

* * *

The white faded after a moment, and the assembled duelists found themselves floating in a void, with only Slifer present. No Ryu Kokki. No other Gods. Nothing.

"Okay, this is strange," said CV. "Even for us."

"We're inside a mindscape," said Yami Yugi, wincing in pain. "It's being created... by our Items. The strain of maintaining the connection to Yugi... It's getting to be too much!" He dropped to one knee, nearly exhausted.

Joey ran to Yugi to help him up. "Just hang on, both of ya! We'll nail this creep... Right?"

"We have to," said Nat. "Don't know how, though. No matter how strong we are, he's still stronger. Eventually... He'll get us."

"Maybe not," said CV. "Slifer... You've brought us here for a reason, haven't you? You mentioned a fourth God?"

"I did," said Slifer. "Observe." All around them, the scenery changed from a void to the all-too-familiar sands of ancient Egypt.

"Long ago," began Slifer, "there were six brave warriors whose names have been lost to the sands of time. Each came from a noble family that embodied the essence of the elements... Earth, fire, water, wind, darkness, and light." As they watched, six people shimmered into view. Nat audibly gasped. Ami felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The six looked exactly like CV, Hikari, Ashes, Nat, Jay, and Poison.

"Oh come ON!" said Joey. "Not THIS routine again!"

"It's like watching six reruns of the same show at once," muttered Tristan.

Continuing, and ignoring the commentary, the story continued. "Each possessed a potent Ka... a monster spirit that served them well... But individually, they were defeated time and again as enemies encroached upon their homelands.

"Then, one fateful day, the six found themselves fighting alongside one another against a common foe. At first, they considered each other potential enemies."

As he said this, the past incarnations of Poison and CV faced each other, ready to battle.

"But soon they found friendship."

The scene shifted to show "Nat" and "Ashes" side by side, fighting a gigantic creature.

"And ultimately... Love." The image showed "Poison" and "Hikari"... "Ashes" and "Jay"... And shockingly, "CV" and "Nat", an image that stunned both duelists and felt like a knife to the heart for Ami.

"But that's-" started CV.

"Impossible." finished Nat.

"Ami..." started Rex. He got no further as she turned and, crying softly, hugged him.

"And as they forged these bonds, so too did their spirit monsters." Slifer continued, showing six monsters.

The first was a hovering gladiator torso and arms.

The second was a large crab.

The third was a powerful looking cat.

The fourth was a pterodactyl.

The fifth seemed to be a living boomerang.

The final one was different, a structure above the sky itself.

"Individually powerful, their monsters began to work together, combining their powers to create a greater force."

"They look just like the Combat Vehicles," said CV.

"Yes," said Slifer. "They are the predecessors to those modern day monsters. When Pegasus discovered their tablet, and discovered their power of union, he reimagined them as machines. But these six creatures, in ancient times, could unite to form a monster as powerful as any God... Omnis."

A primal version of VWXYZ appeared, the details slightly different, but unmistakenly still CV's "megazord".

"Omnis was unique among monsters, for it could join it's power to other monsters to gain new forms and new powers temporarily. Thus, as the six gained allies in their struggles, they gained more power, eventually using Omnis to unite the factions entirely.

"It would be a short-lived era of peace, however. An enemy made a deal with the greatest darkness the world had ever known... Zorc Necrophades. He launched an attack so great, the six could not counter it, not even with the power of Omnis.

"Ultimately, they realized that true unity would be their only hope of victory. To that end, they performed an ancient ritual. Each donated from their soul, even as the greatest blacksmith in the entire continent forged their weapon."

They watched as the Scepter of the Balance was slowly forged.

"Sadly, as it was completed, the follower of Zorc attacked... And only one survived." Black sand filled the vision of all present, and when it cleared, only "CV" remained, holding the body of "Nat", his face filled with anguish over the loss of his beloved.

"Furious, the remaining warrior used the Scepter of the Balance to counter Zorc's darkness with the other five elements, ultimately trapping and neutralizing the villain... But at a cost."

They watched the battle, vicious and ugly. Ultimately, the two enemies attacked each other at the same moment... and fell in perfect sync.

"Watching the battle was the father of the future Pharaoh, Atem, who had heard tales of the six brave warriors who had fought to save the land. As he approached the remaining warrior, the hero thrust the Scepter and Wdjat into his hands.

"'You must protect these at all cost,' he had said. 'With my last breath, I add the remainder of my soul to the Scepter, completing the Balance. May it never be needed again... But if it must, may it be in the hands of one who is worthy... A true... Warrior.'

"With the six dead, the Pharaoh sealed the Scepter away, but not before gleaning secrets of it's forging... Knowledge that he would later use to create the Millennium Items. Thus was the knowledge of the Warriors and Omnis lost to history... Until now."

"So you're saying Buster Formation is Omnis?" CV was a bit incredulous.

"No," said Slifer. "But he very nearly is. You must do as the warriors did, and unite him with other monsters to complete one of his many forms." The scenery changed back to the void. "And hurry! Time is almost up!"

They blinked, and were suddenly back in the battle, no time having passed during the revelations.

"That was freaky," said Tristan. "So, how do you unite this thing with another monster?"

"Simple," said CV. "Yugi... Are you up to one last power play?"

Weary, Yugi nodded. "Do it."

"Okay then." He placed a card in his spell zone. "It's time to revive the ancient past! I PLAY POLYMERIZATION!" The spell card appeared above Buster Formation.

"What is this?! Are you fusing the Gods?" Ryu Kokki was confused and irritated.

"Yes... TO US!" CV felt the power of the Scepter pulsing. "SLIFER! OBELISK! RA! JOIN WITH ME NOW TO FORM THE FOURTH GOD, LOST FOR AGES!" The three gods flew into Polymerization as VWXYZ took to the sky, flying into the card.

"ARISE... MECHA GOD OMNIS!" The card shattered, revealing a new monster more impressive than any that had been seen in the battle. Still a mecha, it bore armor based on the three God Cards and carried a massive saber based on their faces.

Mecha God Omnis: Infinite/Infinite

Ryu Kokki laughed, long and loud. "FOOLS! YOU'VE GIVEN ME ABSOLUTE POWER! NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW! NOTHING!"

Ryu Kokki: Infinite/Infinite

"We're equal now," said CV. "If necessary, I can take you out, even if it costs us our lives."

"There are LEVELS of infinity, fool," said Ryu Kokki. "And mine may well outstrip your's."

"We'll see. BRING IT."

"GLADLY! I'll annihilate you and your Academy in a single blast!" Ryu Kokki's hands burned with dark flames hotter than any he'd released yet. Livid, he fired full force at Omnis.

"REVEAL TRAP CARD!" shouted CV. "WABOKU!" Waboku rose up, and suddenly a field blocked the massive attack. "Sorry, but the turn Waboku is played, I take no battle damage and my monsters don't get destroyed. And do you know what that means?" He smirked. "Now I get to RETALIATE."

Ryu Kokki backed up.

"Sorry, but you're not getting away! MECHA GOD OMNIS... TAKE FLIGHT!" Raising it's sword over it's head, Omnis shot energy into the sky, where it formed a massive Yin Yang symbol. Taking to the air, Omnis flew through it, gaining full power.

"You're done, Ryu. Waboku's still in effect, and infinity minus infinity is still zero! PENALTY GAME: GOD SLASH!" Without preamble, Omnis blazed towards Ryu Kokki at blinding speeds. As he approached, spectral images of the Gods appeared. Slifer rammed Ryu Kokki; Ra burned him... Obelisk just punched him.

It culminated in the massive sword slash that cleaved Ryu Kokki in two. Staggered, Ryu Kokki turned to see Omnis maneuvering itself for another pass. One that wouldn't be needed.

Ryu Kokki: 0

"You... may have... slain me," he said, explosions ripping across his body. "But Ramesus will... avenge me... A THOUSAND FOLD!" With that said, he fell forward and erupted in a massive ball of fire.

"Checkmate!" said CV, snapping his fingers.

"OH YEAH!" Joey pumped his fist into the air. "We're bad!"

"I can't believe that worked..." Tristan slumped back in his chair, wiped out.

Wiping her tears, Ami whispered "I can't believe it..."

"Okay..." said Nat. "It's over... So how do we get down?"

Right on cue, all aboard Omnis felt themselves being pulled by an invisible force. As the monster began to become intangible, it ejected them into it's hand and set them on the ground.

"Thank you Omnis," said CV as the monster vanished completely.

In his mind, he heard Slifer one more time. "Warrior, I give you this parting gift... Use it wisely in your coming battle, and it may bring you victory. Farewell..." Slifer's presence faded, even as CV's deck glowed. Confused, he removed the top card and looked at it. "White-Horned Dragon?" He smirked. "Yeah, this should come in handy." He returned it to his deck and relaxed, allowing his power wane, and he finally returned to his normal appearance. Returning the Wdjat to his armband, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad that's over."

"Is it?" asked Nat. "LOOK!" She pointed to the sky. They looked up to see that the storm clouds gathered by Ryu Kokki weren't vanishing. Instead, they seemed to be growing stronger by the minute.

"It... Won't be over..." said Yami Yugi, now on all fours, "until Ramesus is stopped!" He felt a pulse from the Puzzle. "I... can't stay any longer, Yugi! I'm afraid that... from this point on... You're on your own!" The Puzzle pulsed again, and Yugi returned to normal... and collapsed.

"YUGI!" Joey and Tristan were at their friend's side in a heartbeat, turning him over to make sure he was alive.

"I'm... I'm okay," said Yugi. "But the strain drained me, too." He looked towards CV and the others. "You've got to go and finish this fight, before it's too late!"

"But-" started CV.

"GO! Tea and your friends need you!"

"He's right," said Tristan. "We'll take care of Yugi. You've got an appointment to keep!"

Nat immediately sprinted for the door, joined by the spirits

CV reluctantly nodded and turned to return to the Academy... Only to find Ami standing before him.

"Ami?"

Unable to look him in the eyes, she stood there, silently.

"Ami? Are you all right?"

"I... I can't go with you."

"If you're worried about Yugi, he's in good hands."

"NO!" she shouted, finally looking him in the eyes. "I can't go with YOU. Ever since this fight began, I've been feeling you slip away and... And now after seeing that vision-! I know you love Nat, that you're supposed to be with her! Just... Just stop pretending like you don't!"

"We're just friends," said CV. "That vision of our past lives? It doesn't have to dictate our future."

"But there's more than just that," said Ami. She glanced over at Rex. "I... I need someone that I know will always be there. I'm sorry..." Her eyes full of tears, she kissed CV's cheek. "Go. Save the world." Without another word, she turned towards Rex and walked away.

"Ami..." CV felt his fists clench.

"COME ON!" shouted Nat. "We've got to go!"

"Next stop," added Rocket Warrior, "the biggest creep of 'em all!"

Slowly, CV nodded. "I'm coming," he said, before running for the door. There'd be time to fix things with Ami later.

That's what he told himself, anyway.

* * *

"We're almost there!" said Hikari as she had her Cycroid ram through a blockade of Winged Minion. "You okay?"

Allis nodded weakly. "I'm... I'm fine."

Ahead, Arena 3 came into view.

"It's go time," said Hikari, almost growling. Two seconds later, the doors to the arena were blown off the hinges by Giltia the D. Knight, and Hikari stormed into the area, mad as a hornet.

"RAMESUS! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Gladly," he said, stepping forward from a room Hikari now realized was almost pitch black. For some reason, Ramesus had turned out all the lights. "I'm pleased that you made such excellent timing. You're right on schedule, and I just got back from some pressing business."

"HIKARI! GET OUT OF HERE!" She heard Poison shout, but she had no intention of leaving.

"Gonna hide in the dark all day?" Her anger was palpable.

"Hardly," said Ramesus. He snapped his finger. "I just wanted to be theatrical." The lights came up... and what she saw nearly made her scream in horror.

All around her were the missing teachers and students, trapped on crosses, hovering in the air. They looked exhausted, miserable, afraid.

On the left was Poison, bound by mystical chains, watched over by the Brews, who were beginning to look terrified themselves. Hovering above was the Creator, trapped in a glowing sphere, unable to free himself.

"And the best part's the centerpiece," said Ramesus. A column of darkness had remained directly behind him. He grinned maliciously as it now faded into the light... revealing a scene that almost made her recoil in dread.

Dead center of the Arena were Jay and Ashes, in the same position as every other student and teacher. From behind them, a new orb hovered up containing Flame Sprite.

"JAY! ASHES!" Hikari clenched her fists. "You dirty-!"

"I found her wandering the Shadow Realm, full of the belief that she could do anything to stop me. Foolish girl. All she succeeded in doing was delivering herself to me. Not that I don't appreciate the gift, but still..." He shrugged. "And, of course, now YOU'VE delivered yourself to me as well. Allis, if you'd be so kind?"

At that, Hikari turned towards Allis, and her eyes widened. Allis was holding her Flame Swordsman.

"...I'm sorry..." she said softly as she walked past Hikari and towards Ramesus. She handed the card to the villain, and a new orb appeared, containing Hikari's duel spirit.

"Hikari! Leave this place immediately!" The spirit pounded against his cage, but could do nothing to free himself.

Hikari glared at Allis. "YOU TRAITOR! WE TRUSTED YOU!"

Allis looked away, ashamed.

"Oh, don't be so hard on the dear girl," said Ramesus as he stroked her hair. "It's not like she had any choice in the matter."

At his touch, Allis cringed.

"Now," said Ramesus. "It's time I added YOU to my collection as well. Shall we begin? I expect your friends will be here soon, and I want to have my house in order before they do."

Hikari braced herself and extended her disk to play mode.

"That's the last straw," she growled. "YOU'RE GOING DOWN, RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW! HANG ON EVERYONE! HIKARI WHEELER'S HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!"

"We'll see..." said Ramesus, chuckling softly. "We'll see..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Cruel Betrayal! Ramesus vs. Hikari!


	46. Cruel Betrayal! Ramesus vs Hikari!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The massive battle between Good and Evil continued as CyberV and Yugi, with help from their friends and Slifer the Sky Dragon, narrowly triumphed over Ryu Kokki, destroying the evil Duel Spirit. However, the battle took it's toll on Yugi and Atem, leaving CV and Nat to continue on to Arena 3, and Ramesus, alone. Meanwhile, Hikari and Allis finally arrived at Arena 3, just in time to discover that Ramesus had captured Ashes... and that Allis was working for him. Allis stole Hikari's Flame Swordsman, leaving Hikari to fight alone against the leader of Evil.

* * *

From a window, Ishizu watched the ever-growing dark clouds with anxiety and fear.

"The endgame approaches," she lamented. "The darkness continues to grow further out of control with each passing moment."

There was a loud banging on the door behind her. She heard the chittering of the Winged Minion on the other side.

They'd found her at last.

Resigned, she picked up a duel disk that had been displayed on the wall and put it on.

"Hurry, Warrior," she said as the door began to splinter. "HURRY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" The door shattered, and she prepared to face her attackers.

* * *

CyberV and Nat ran down the entryway to the Academy, as fast as they could go. Nat tapped her comlink.

"Reporting in to anyone that can hear me. Ryu Kokki's finished! What's your status?"

There was a tense moment of silence... And then, static-filled responses.

"Here," said Ikke. "And busy!" They heard an explosion.

"Same here," said Strong Man. "These things just keep coming! It's ridiculous!"

"Still fighting!" they heard from LazyMan. "But Hikari and Allis went after Magyk! At the last report, they were going to Arena 3! Get going!"

"But we can help you guys," said CV. "And then together we could-"

"YOU HEARD HIM!" shouted Mouse. "GO!" The link was broken, leaving silence in the air.

Nat turned to CV. "That's four..."

CV tapped his own link. "Void? VOID!" There was no response. "MAGYK!" Again, no response. "HIKARI!"

Static filled the line. "Not now!"

Both duelists breathed a sigh of relief. "Hikari," started Nat, "where are you?!"

"Arena 3. You'd better hurry up and get here."

"On our way," said CV. "Keep the line open!"

"Of course," said Hikari with a smirk. "I wouldn't want you to miss me bringing Ramesus down."

Turning her attention back to the center of the arena, Hikari headed towards Ramesus.

"It's go time, freakshow. You're looking at the duelist that's gonna bring you down!"

Ramesus chuckled. "Well then, by all means... Let us begin this comedy of errors."

Their disks extended.

"DUEL!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 46: Cruel Betrayal! Ramesus vs. Hikari!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"Hikari!" Jay couldn't believe that she was there. "Be careful! He's been gathering cards from EVERYBODY!"

"And he knows what's in your deck!" added Drift.

"Not only that," said Mokuba, "but Allis stole your Flame Swordsman! Without it, you don't have one of your best monsters!"

"Relax guys... I've got this." Hikari drew her five cards. Ramesus followed suit.

Hikari: 8000

Ramesus: 8000

"My playing field, so I go first," said Ramesus. He drew a sixth. "And now to begin your decimation!" "I'll begin by summoning Zure, Knight of the Dark World in attack mode!" He placed the card on his disk, and a horrifying armored warrior appeared on the field.

Zure, Knight of the Dark World: 1800/1500

"And I'll place one card facedown." A holocard appeared behind Zure. "That shall do for now."

Hikari glanced at Allis. "You know that when I'm done here, you're next, right?"

Allis cringed.

"Oh, don't be such a party pooper," said Ramesus in a mocking tone. "The poor girl really didn't have any choice. It was either obey me... Or meet her final fate."

"Then she's a traitor AND a coward," said Hikari as she drew. "And why tie up Poison like that?" She looked at the fallen duelist, bound by the chains of Shadow Spell. Even now, the Brews watched over him fretfully.

"Because he had the temerity to believe he could fool me. What a laugh! I knew he was a traitor from the start! Always mooning over you... It was quite the chore to not simply banish him and be done with it."

"You... You dirty..." Poison managed to get into a sitting position with Bubble's help. "You're completely insane! You'll destroy the entire world! TAKE HIM DOWN, HIKARI! I'M WITH YOU!"

Hikari nodded. "With pleasure!" She looked at her hand. "And I'll start with this! I summon Goblin Black Ops in attack mode!" Four black-armored goblins appeared.

Goblin Black Ops: 1300/0

"And these guys have a special ability that I'll activate right now! They can attack you directly! ATTACK RAMESUS WITH STEALTHY SNEAK ATTACK!" The Goblins vanished, and reappeared right over Ramesus, ready to bring their weapons down on his head.

"A pathetic attempt," said Ramesus. "I reveal my Sakuretsu Armor!" His facedown rose up, and suddenly the villain was covered in armor of his own. As the Goblins' weapons struck him, spikes flew out of Ramesus's armor and pierced all four, shattering them. As his armor faded away, Ramesus chuckled. "You'll need to do better than that. MUCH better."

"Then I will," said Hikari. "Time for plan B. I'll play Fusion Sage to get a Polymerization from my deck into my hand!" Fusion Sage appeared and morphed into Polymerization, which Hikari took.

"And next, I'll place one card facedown. That's all for now." A holo card appeared.

"And let me guess," said Ramesus as he drew. "That will be your oh-so-predictable Scapegoat card, wouldn't it? Too bad I have MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" He immediately placed the spell card on the field. "Now I can destroy your spell before you summon those lifesaving tokens!" The spell card rose up, and a powerful wind blasted forward, picking up Scapegoat and shattering it.

"Not good..." muttered Hikari.

"And now I summon Giant Rat in attack mode," said Ramesus as he placed the monster on the field. A gigantic rodent appeared.

Giant Rat: 1400/1450

"Now, Zure! Attack with Dark Lance!" Zure leapt forward, slashing at Hikari with his blade.

Hikari: 6200

Ramesus: 8000

"And you as well, Rat! Bubonic Bite!" Hikari could only brace herself as the vermin charged her and sank it's teeth into her shoulder.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!" She dropped to one knee, in obvious pain.

Hikari: 4800

Ramesus: 8000

"NO!" shouted Poison. "STOP IT!"

"Why would I stop?" asked Ramesus. "It's just beginning to be fun."

"HANG IN THERE!" shouted Tea. "You can do it, Hikari! I believe in you!"

"Considering your position, dear lady," said Ramesus. "I'd consider using a different turn of phrase than 'hang in there'." He chuckled. None of the spectators could interfere, crucified to the crosses as they were.

"You're a sick piece of work, you know that, right?" shouted Void. "Only a total psycho would enjoy torturing a girl like that!"

"I know," said Ramesus. "So you can just imagine how much fun I'm going to have in the coming turns."

"We'll see how much fun you have," muttered Hikari as she drew. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight!" The powerful warrior appeared. "But he's not sticking around! I play the spell Release Restraint!" The spell rose up behind Gearfried. "This lets me evolve him From Iron Knight... to THE SWORDMASTER!" The armor shattered off of Gearfried, revealing an even more imposing warrior.

Gearfried the Swordmaster: 2600/2200

"And here's the best part! When he's summoned to the field, his effect lets him destroy one monster on the field! GO! DESTROY ZURE WITH IRON BLADE!" Gearfried nodded and swung his blade, creating a massive shockwave that shattered Zure.

"And then there's his attack! Time to exterminate a rat! EXPERT SWORDSMANSHIP!" Gearfried leapt into the air and brought his blade down on the head of Giant Rat, cleaving the rodent in two. It shattered easily.

Hikari: 4800

Ramesus: 6800

"And you just activated my Rat's special ability," said Ramesus. "Now I can summon a monster with an attack of 1500 or less... like my Exiled Force!" A small troop of Roman soldiers appeared.

Exiled Force: 1000/1000

"No problem," said Hikari. "Now I play Pot of Greed!" Her spell card appeared. "So I can draw two cards!" She did so. "And I can't use what I drew just yet, but I can set it up for later! I play Foolish Burial!" The spell rose up. "This lets me place one monster from my hand right into my graveyard!" She did so.

Ramesus narrowed his eyes. "Whatever it is, it must be a high level card. You intend to special summon it later."

"Got that right," said Hikari. "And I can't wait for it to help me trounce you. But for now, it's your turn. I'd enjoy it if I were you... You won't have many more."

"I know," said Ramesus. "It won't take me too long to annihilate you, and it's nice of you to acknowledge it." He drew. "First, I'll play Graceful Charity!" A woman appeared over his head. "This allows me to draw three cards, as long as I discard two cards to the graveyard." He did so. "Next, I'll sacrifice Exiled Force to activate their special ability... When I do this... They destroy one monster on your side of the field! Say farewell to the Swordmaster!" Exiled Force stormed the field, attacking Gearfried all out and shattering the monster as they faded away.

"GEARFRIED!" Hikari didn't like how this was going. She was wide open again.

"Now I'll play Book of Life!" A spell rose up. "This is one of my favorites... It removes a monster in your graveyard from play... And lets me summon one of my own!"

Hikari braced herself.

"Oh, relax," said Ramesus. "I can't remove your powerhouse from play since I don't know what it is, so I'll settle for your Goblin Black Ops." The card ejected from Hikari's graveyard and landed behind her.

"And as for what I'm summoning, it's a monster I just discarded... ARISE RYU KOKKI!" The skull demon appeared, grinning.

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"Your spirit. I was wondering when he'd show up."

"Alas, no," said Ramesus. "I fear the Warrior and the Pharaoh have silenced my duel spirit in a most definitive manner. This is but an empty shell... Albeit a useful one."

"That's for that much, dork..." muttered Hikari.

"And since that was a special summoning, I'll also call out my Spirit Reaper." A ghastly specter appeared on the field.

Spirit Reaper: 300/200

"And since you're wide open..." Ramesus shrugged as Spirit reaper flew right at Hikari and slashed her with it's sickle.

Hikari: 4500

Ramesus: 6800

"Oh, and did I mention that he's got a special ability?" Ramesus grinned. "Since he's attacked you directly, you'll have to lose one card from your hand... Namely the Polymerization you gained earlier." Hikari grimaced as a line appeared on her Polymerization, and the card split in half.

"And now for the part I enjoy most... RYU KOKKI! SOUL SUCKING BONE BITE!" Skulls flew off of Ryu Kokki's body and latched onto Hikari's body with their teeth. Darkness spewed from each skull's mouth, causing Hikari great agony and forcing her, once more, to her knees.

Hikari: 2100

Ramesus: 6800

"You... You dirty-"

"Tut tut. Such manners." Ramesus sighed. "You just insist on being tortured, don't you?" He grinned. "It would be my honor." He placed one card in his spell and trap zone. "One card facedown, and that will do."

"Oh man..." Mech winced. "I can't watch."

"He's tearing her apart..." Forest wanted to help, but he couldn't move.

At last, Ashes began to stir. "Wha- HIKARI!" Her eyes flew open at the sight of Hikari painfully pulling herself up off the floor. "What's going on?!"

"If she can't stop him," said Jay, "maybe the end of the world."

Ashes turned her head and saw Jay, right next to her. "Jay? Is... Is it really you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for trying to save me."

"Trying to..." She looked around and saw the position she was in. "No... It... It was all for nothing. I let you down."

"You did all you could," said Jay. "It's up to our friends now. COME ON, HIKARI! BEAT THIS CREEP!"

"You heard 'em," said Hikari to Ramesus. "I've got too many people counting on me to give up now!" She drew.

* * *

Watching the duel, Poison and the Brews were in the middle of a confrontation all their own.

"Why do you root for her?" asked Bubble. "Why, when all you have to do is renounce her and ask for forgiveness from Ramesus."

"He'd never grant it," said Poison. "Besides, in case you haven't noticed, he's also completely insane."

"But he has power. And he's done right by us so far," said Toil.

"But for how long?" asked Poison. "Dark Scythe. Sonny. Carly. Greekman. Mikey. Jimbo. Kuno. McMike. Even his own duel spirit. He could have saved them all with barely a gesture, but he let them suffer their fates. It's only a matter of time before you stop being useful to him. And when that happens, you'll just be three more trophies on his wall."

"He'd never do that," said Trouble. "...Would he?"

"In a heartbeat and without a second thought." He glanced towards Allis. "Besides, he has a new favorite toy, one so afraid of him that she'd never dare go against him." He shrugged. "Now, if you feel like cowering before that psycho for the rest of your lives, then, yeah, maybe he won't turn on you. MAYBE."

"He's right," said Kuno from a nearby cross. "I hate to admit it, but he's right. I served him loyally, and look what happened to me!"

"He could let us down with a raised eyebrow," said McMike. "And he won't."

"It's not too late," finished Void. "I pulled my sister and friend back from the brink, but it cost me everything. You've got a chance to make a difference... You'd probably wind up like us... But it's better than being his slave for all eternity."

"So," said Poison. "What'll it be?"

* * *

"It sounds bad," said CV as he and Nat continued running towards the arena.

"I know! And it's about to get worse!" She pointed up ahead, towards a gigantic swarm of Winged Minion.

"ON IT!" said CV as he reached for his deck.

"NO!" Nat stopped him from drawing by placing her hand over his deck. "You're still recovering from that fight with Ryu Kokki! We need you in top form to fight Ramesus if Hikari fails. Leave this to ME." She drew a card and extended her disk to play mode.

"And if you even START to think about trying to help me, I'll knock you out and DRAG you to the arena."

"Yes, Ma'am." CV sweatdropped.

"Man, you are SO whipped..." Rocket Warrior chuckled.

"And YOU! ZIP IT. I don't need your chatter distracting me."

"Yes, Ma'am."

CV and the dragons chuckled.

"Okay then," said Nat. "I play Polymerization! I fuse Blowback Dragon and Barrel Dragon to form... GATLING DRAGON!" A massive machine beast appeared. "GET ON!" She climbed onto the creature's back, and CV followed suit. "STOP THOSE CREATURES!" ordered Nat. "And get us to Arena 3!" The monster immediately began rolling forward as it trained it's weapons on the Winged Minion. "FIRE!"

Gatling Dragon let loose with a firestorm that would have impressed the Minion if they'd had time to appreciate it. As the monster continued forward, CV clenched his fists.

"Hang on Hikari. We're on our way."

* * *

"Okay then," said Hikari. "This oughta shake you up a bit!" She drew. "I play Monster Reborn!" The spell rose up. "You wanted to see what I sent to the graveyard? Well here you go! ARISE DARK MAGICIAN!" Monster Reborn glowed and faded away, revealing the spellcaster Poison had forced the Brews to give her.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"And I'll also summon Time Wizard in defense mode!" The clockwork wizard appeared.

Time Wizard: 500/400

"You wouldn't dare," said Ramesus. "Not with your life points so low."

"Oh, but that's the thing," said Hikari. "We Wheelers are a gambling sort! TIME WIZARD! DO YOUR STUFF!" The staff of the wizard glowed as the clock hands atop it began to spin. "You know the drill," said Hikari. "If it turns up skulls, I lose my monsters and half their attack points come out of my life points. If it comes up on the hourglass, your monsters take a nice long trip to the future and wave bye bye."

All eyes were on the clock hands as they continued spinning... And slowing...

"Come on... No skulls... No skulls..." The hands went past the skulls... and stopped on the hourglass. "OH YEAH! TIME MAGIC... GO!"

"Time magic! Time magic!" Time Wizard chanted his spell as a vortex appeared around both duelists.

Immediately, Spirit Reaper and Ryu Kokki began to rot away, fading into dust. As the vortex faded, it was obvious what had happened... Ramesus' creatures were gone, and the Dark Magician had aged a thousand years.

"I'd like you to meet a REALLY old friend of my uncle's. DARK SAGE!"

Dark Sage: 2800/3200

"And when he's summoned, his special ability activates, letting me add one spell card to my hand... A spell like Megamorph!" The card ejected from her deck to her hand. "And now I'll equip it to Dark Sage!" She did so. "And why, you may ask? I'll tell you. As long as your life points are higher than mine, Dark Sage's attack doubles!"

Dark Sage: 5600/3200

"NOW ATTACK RAMESUS DIRECTLY WITH SUPREME EXPERIENCED MAGIC!" Dark Sage aimed his staff at Ramesus, and everything went negative for the villain, forcing him back but not stopping him.

Hikari: 2100

Ramesus: 1200

"Of course, now that your life points are lower than mine, Sage's original attack gets cut in half, but I'd say it was worth it."

Dark Sage: 1400/3200

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A holo card appeared behind Time Wizard.

"Oh man! GO HIKARI!" Jay cheered.

Watching Ramesus take the massive hit, Bubble clenched her fists.

"HERE I GO!" She slammed a monster card onto her duel disk. "DARK MAGICIAN GIRL! STOP RAMESUS NOW!" The blue-skinned variant appeared and fired a spell at Ramesus.

"Eh?" Ramesus, stunned but far from out, turned and raised his arm, blocking the blast with the palm of his hand.

"Uh oh..." Bubble took a step back as the attack failed.

"Oh Bubble..." said Ramesus. "You and I need to have a few words." He narrowed his eyes.

"What are you doing?!" demanded Toil.

"It seems she's made up her mind," said Trouble. "And now we're stuck with the results!"

"Yes," said Ramesus. "You are. Step away from your sister. Both of you." Ramesus took a step towards them.

Hikari watched, unable to interfere. "HEY! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DUEL HERE!"

"This will only take a moment," said Ramesus. "I have another traitor in my ranks, it seems." He gestured, and black energy shot from his hand, shattering Dark Magician Girl. "That cannot be tolerated."

"B-Back off!" said Bubble as she looked to her hand for another monster. "I can see what's happened to the others... What you did to her!" She added that last part as she glanced at Allis, who was watching with horror and resignation. "Poison's right! When you've finished here, you won't need anyone anymore!"

"Very, very true," said Ramesus. "And you're right. You three barnacles have served me well, but that time is at an end."

"NO!"

"YOU CAN'T!"

Both Toil and Trouble extended their disks.

"Ah, NOW the sisters rise to their sibling's defense. How ignoble, rising to the occasion just to save your own skins. Pathetic!" He swept the air with his hand, and all three Brews were thrust into the arena wall.

He gestured again, and Trouble floated into the air, until a cross appeared behind her.

"Your usefulness is ended." He repeated the same move, sending Toil to the same fate as her sister.

"And then there was one." He chuckled. "A pity, Bubble. You were the cute one." He gestured, and she flew into the air.

"I'm sorry..." she said softly to Poison, a tear falling from her eye as she was placed on a cross like all the rest.

The tear landed right in front of Poison's feet.

Clenching his fists, Poison growled. "You dirty..."

"Now now," said Ramesus. "It's her fault for listening to you. Granted, I probably would have done it eventually just for the fun of it, but, as I said... She was the cute one. She might have lasted a month or so before I got bored." Turning back towards Hikari, he chuckled. "Now, where were we? Ah yes... My turn." He drew.

"How can you do something so cruel and then just turn around and resume a duel?!"

"Like THIS." He placed a spell card in his disk. "I play Painful Choice! Now I take five cards from my deck, and you pick one. That gets added to my hand and the other four go to the graveyard!" Five cards appeared: Brain Control, Mirror Force... and all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

'OH NO!' Hikari thought desperately. 'I can't let him get all three Blue-Eyes into the graveyard! It'd be way too easy for him to summon... There's no choice!'

"I choose Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" said Hikari. One of the Blue-Eyes shrunk and went into Ramesus' hand while the other four cards shrunk and went into his graveyard.

"A wise choice," said Ramesus.

"THOSE ARE MINE!" shouted Mokuba. "You've got no right to use them!"

"The spoils of war, fool." He grinned. "Of course, I can't summon one just yet, so I'll have to bide for time... I play Swords of Revealing Light!" The spell card appeared, and blades of energy appeared all around Hikari and her monsters. "For your next three turns, you cannot attack me. And I assure you, I'll put that respite to good use."

"My move!" said Hikari as she drew. "And I summon Gyroid in defense mode!" A cartoonish helicopter appeared, crouching.

Gyroid: 1000/1000

"I'll also switch Dark Sage to defense mode and end my turn!" Dark Sage crouched.

"That's about all you CAN do, since you've exhausted your hand..." Ramesus chuckled as he drew. "I play Pot of Greed!" The card appeared. "So I draw two cards!" The card shattered. "And now I play the spell Dark World Dealings!" The spell rose up. "Now I must send one card to the graveyard, but I gain a new one to take it's place!"

"Not good..." Hikari reflexively tensed.

"No, not good at all," said Ramesus. "So I discard my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" He sent the dragon to the grave. "Oh, look. They're together again and oh so happy..." He chuckled as he drew his new card. "Of course, you must also draw one card and discard one to the graveyard... and since you have no cards in your hand, whatever you gain, you LOSE."

Hikari drew and looked at the card. "Fine. Does me more good there anyway." She sent the card to the graveyard.

"Now I place one card facedown and end my turn," said Ramesus as a holocard appeared.

"Then it's my move!" said Hikari as she drew. "And for the record, the card you had me send to the graveyard was Marie the Fallen One! Now that she's in the graveyard, her special ability activates! During each of my standby phases, I gain an additional 200 life points!" Marie appeared behind Hikari, a spectral ghost. She glowed green for a moment.

Hikari: 2300

Ramesus: 1200

"Now I'll place one monster facedown and end my turn." A holo card appeared.

"Good move," said Ramesus. "But a slight boost in life points won't save you." He drew. "BECAUSE NOW I PLAY THE SPELL CARD DRAGON'S MIRROR!" The spell rose up, and a mirror appeared in the air. "Now I remove all three of my Blue-Eyes from play, in order to summon the ultimate beast of Seto and Mokuba Kaiba!"

"NO!" Hiakri braced herself, but there was nothing she could do as all three dragons appeared in the mirror before swirling together. The mirror shattered, releasing one of the most powerful monsters in the game. With three heads, a massive wingspan, and a tremendous roar, Hikari got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"BEHOLD... BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON!" The beast blasted lighting into the ceiling, shattering it. As debris rained down, neither duelist moved.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: 4500/3800

"Gaze upon it's beauty, and despair," said Ramesus. "For this Dragon will spell your final fate. I have a cross waiting just for you, dear girl... And I can't wait to add you to my collection."

Hikari grimaced. This wasn't going to be easy...

* * *

"HE SUMMONED WHAT?!" Nat gaped as she heard what had just happened through the comlink. "She doesn't stand a chance!"

"Yes, she does," said CV. "We've got to have faith in her." Even now, they were only halfway to the arena. Gatling Dragon was still clearing the path, but it was taking longer than either of them would have liked.

"There's got to be something we can do," said Nat. "The Brews bought us a little time, but not enough!"

CV thought for a moment. "I've got an idea. Take the Scepter." He held up his Item to Nat.

"What are you doing?"

"TAKE IT NOW!"

Shaken by the seriousness and forcefulness of his words, she did.

"You remember how I used to transform, right? That halfway point. It kept making duel spirits."

Nat nodded. "Right. First Flame Sprite, then Ryu Kokki... Then the rest."

"Exactly. I've got to try and force it."

"Why force it when you have the Scepter? Changing won't help Hikari."

"Yes, it can," said CV as he focused. "BECAUSE THERE'S ONE PERSON IN THAT ARENA THAT CAN TURN THE TIDE!" Remembering all the pain of the last two days, CV let his anger boil. For just a moment, his hair rose up and a wdjat appeared on his forehead, and faded just as quickly. As his hair fell back into place, he started breathing heavily.

"Man... It's harder to do that now..." Nat handed the Scepter back to him.

"You were trying to make a new spirit?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I just hope he gets it."

"Who?"

* * *

Watching as Hikari prepared to face the onslaught of the Ultimate Dragon, Poison felt helpless. All he'd succeeded in doing was dooming the Brew Sisters.

"Blast it... There's nothing I can do!" He struggled against the mystic chains, but to no avail.

His deck began to glow.

"Hikari... I'm sorry... I can't help you."

"Well now..." said a voice right in front of Poison. He looked up as a spectral image began to appear before him. Garbed in dark red, this new arrival smirked, revealing his arrogance.

He was looking at the Red Dark Magician.

Red Dark Magician chuckled. "This should be rather interesting, shouldn't it?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time: Poison's Sacrifice! All in the Name of Love!


	47. All in the Name of Love!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Hikari and Allis found Ramesus in Arena 3, surrounded by all his victims and a chained Poison, whose betrayal had finally come to light. Before the duel could began, Ramesus played his trump card, having Allis capture Hikari's duel spirit, Flame Swordsman. As the duel progresses, Ramesus summons the stolen Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Meanwhile, knowing that he and Nat cannot arrive in time to help, CyberV intentionally created a new duel spirit, and back in the arena, the Red Dark Magician began to appear before an astonished Poison...

* * *

Poison couldn't believe his eyes. His first thought was that he'd just gone completely insane.

It wasn't that he was chained by the trap card Shadow Spell.

It wasn't even that he was watching as the girl he loved slowly lost a duel to Ramesus, who was intent on making her suffer as much as possible before finishing her off.

No, what made him believe that he might be insane was the sight of the Red Dark Magician, appearing from thin air, right in front of him, wearing a superior smirk and chuckling to himself, amused at the drama playing out before him.

"Yes, very interesting indeed," mused the Dark Magician. "For a master of magicians, you're obviously no escape artist. Look at you. It's pathetic. Chained, helpless, lying on a dirty floor and watching as a girl tries to save your pathetic life." He chuckled. "You're obviously not the magician your father was."

"What are you? Another of Ramesus's games?" Poison glared at the arrogant duel spirit.

"Of course not," scoffed the mage. "That pretender has not the ability to create spirits such as myself. No, I sense I was freed by another nearby. But that is neither here nor there." He dismissed the entire conversation with a wave of his hand.

"Then why are you here?" Poison struggled, but he still couldn't move. The chains bound him too tightly. Like it or not, he was still helpless.

"Why am I here?" parroted the spirit. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to give you a choice."

Poison was confused. He was tied up and practically paralyzed. It seemed irrelevant to be giving him any choices at the moment.

"A choice between life and death." The Dark Magician chuckled again as thunder crashed and lightning flashed from the massive gap in the ceiling above...

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 47: Poison's Sacrifice! All in the Name of Love!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Hikari clenched her fists. As far as duels went, this one was quickly going from zero to hopeless in eight seconds.

Hikari: 2300

Ramesus: 1200

Yes, she was ahead in life points, but there was a rather... large problem she was staring down, and with no idea how to stop it. Roaring, glaring down at her, was the legendary and unique Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, fully under Ramesus's command and ready to decimate her defenses.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: 4500/3800

Making it worse were two face downs Ramesus had. No telling what those were or when he'd spring them.

Of course, she wasn't completely beaten quite yet. In addition to a facedown monster and little surprise she had lying in wait, she had three other monsters protecting her.

Dark Sage (equipped with Megamorph): 1400/3200

Time Wizard: 500/400

Gyroid: 1000/1000

Then there was Marie the Fallen One's effect. Hovering behind her, translucent, was the angelic monster, giving her 200 life points each time it was her turn.

'As long as I can keep Gyroid on the field', she mused, 'I'm safe. His special ability won't let him get destroyed by a single attack.' She looked at Time Wizard. 'If I use his effect again, I might be able to destroy Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but my life points aren't high enough to risk it right now. I have to protect him and hope that Marie's effect will net me enough points to try it.'

She glared at Ramesus, all arrogance, dueling as though she were a rat, and he a cat ready to pounce.

"If you're done regaining control of your bladder,' said Ramesus, "it's time to continue the torment. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon... DESTROY HER TIME WIZARD!"

The Ultimate Dragon's three mouths opened wide as lightning gathered within them. "STRIDENT LIGHTNING BLAZE!" The attack let loose with a thundering crash, ready to obliterate Hikari's best chance of victory.

"THERE'S NO CHOICE!" she cursed. "REVEAL TRAP CARD!" Her facedown rose up. "NEGATE ATTACK!" As the blasts were about to strike Time Wizard, they suddenly vanished, saving the clockwork sorcerer from an untimely demise. "Sorry, Ramesus, but my Time Wizard's safe. Now your attack's cancelled and it's my turn to make a move."

Ramesus chuckled. "I thought as much. Well, you've managed to end my turn with that little bit of luck," he mused. "But no matter. It's not like you can do it again."

"We'll see about that!" Hikari drew. "And now I gain 200 life points thanks to Marie!" Marie glowed green again.

Hikari: 2500

Ramesus: 1200

She looked at her hand. 'Goddess with the Third Eye. Makes me wish I had my Polymerization card right about now... I could play her on the field, but she'd just be another target for the Dragon. And right now, it's looking like there's one other way to win. And I can't protect Time Wizard now... So there's nothing I can do.'

"I pass." Hikari said reluctantly. The Swords of Revealing Light, which had been surrounding her the last three turns, faded away.

"I thought as much," said Ramesus. He sighed as he drew. "Obviously it was a bad draw. A pity, but that's what you get for relying on your daddy's help to build a deck." He looked at his card and shrugged. "I don't even need what I just received to crush your last hope. ULTIMATE DRAGON! ATTACK TIME WIZARD AGAIN!"

"Oh man..." Hikari braced herself as the white lightning again launched from the enemy monster, striking Time Wizard with such force that the little monster was flung into the far wall of the arena before he shattered, leaving a crater.

"And THAT'S how you eliminate annoying pests," said Ramesus.

Hikari stared at the crater in the wall.

'If he could do that to a hologram... What'll happen if that thing hits me directly?!'

"I see you're starting to catch on," said Ramesus. "The look in your eyes says it all. They're not holograms anymore." He laughed derisively. "This is a shadow game, you stupid twit. The monsters are real. The danger is REAL. You get annihilated in this duel, it's for keeps."

"HIKARI! GET OUT OF HERE!" Hikari turned to see Ashes shouting at her. "YOU CAN'T BEAT HIM! GO GET HELP!"

"She can't run," said Jay. "Even if Ramesus would let her... She wouldn't." He said it with grim confidence. "Look at her face and posture. She's struggling to hold it together, but she refuses to give in. Even with her back up against the wall, she won't surrender or flee. She's DEFINITELY the daughter of Joey Wheeler. And if anybody can turn this around, she can."

"Got that right," muttered Hikari as she drew. "Thanks, Jay." Marie glowed again.

Hikari: 2700

Ramesus: 1200

She looked at her hand.

'YES! My other Polymerization card!' She glanced at Gyroid. 'But Steam Gyroid wouldn't last a single turn against that thing, and I can't fuse anything with Dark Sage! I have to wait and hope I get something I can use!'

"I pass again," she said.

"I'm not surprised," said Ramesus. "It does seem hopeless, doesn't it?" He drew. "And now to remove any belief on your part that you might get out of this in one piece! I play the spell Nobleman of Crossout!" The spell card rose up. "Now I can remove one facedown monster on the field from play!" The Nobleman appeared and slashed at Hikari's facedown monster. Fiber Jar appeared and shattered.

"And the best part? It's effect is negated. So sorry." Ramesus chuckled. "And now to eliminate another of your pathetic defenses. ULTIMATE DRAGON! DESTROY HER DECREPIT SPELLCASTER!"

Hikari was forced to dodge as lightning lashed out again, striking Dark Sage and shattering both him and her Megamorph card.

"Not good..."

"I'd suggest you surrender," said Ramesus. "It's the end of the line for you. Soon you'll be just another trophy on my wall."

* * *

Allis watched the duel with growing horror. Ramesus's cruelty she knew about already, but this was beyond the pale. The longer the duel went on, the more danger Hikari was in... And it was all her fault.

"Please... Please win, Hikari. Please free me from his control before it's too late..." She dropped to her hands and knees and wept, not believing for a second that her prayer would be answered.

* * *

"We should be there in just a few minutes!" said Nat over the roar of Gatling Dragon's wheels tearing into the floor of the Academy.

Looking behind them at the pockmarked floor, CyberV sweatdropped. "I am SO not cleaning up this mess after we save the world."

"I bet Ishizu's gonna FREAK when she sees this mess..." Rocket Warrior shook his head in disbelief.

"Let's just worry about making sure she's AROUND to see it first," said Nat. "From what I'm hearing, Hikari's still dueling, but she's sure not winning."

"HEADS UP!" shouted CV as he pointed ahead. Nat looked and saw a brand new wave of Winged Minion, the biggest batch yet.

"GATLING DRAGON! REVOLVER FIRESTORM!" Gatling Dragon let loose with a torrent of artillery that decimated the oncoming attackers. "And you were worried?" asked Nat.

Above their heads, the ceiling suddenly fell in, revealing the Minion that had been hiding there. Before either duelist could react, they swarmed Nat, grabbing onto her.

"LET! ME! GO!" she shouted.

"YOU HEARD THE LADY!" yelled Rocket Warrior as he immediately went into action, slashing apart one holding Nat's left arm before spinning and slamming his shield into the face of one trying to wrap it's tentacles around her head.

CV didn't hesitate either, stabbing one grabbing her legs with the Scepter and forcefully yanking the last one off her back and throwing it into the wall.

"You okay?" asked CV.

"Yes," said Nat. "You remember what I said about not helping me?"

"Yeah," said CV.

"Forget I said it."

"Forget what?" CV said it mock-innocently, and Nat snorted. "Hey, he said suddenly. Stop this thing for a minute, okay?"

"Do it," she said as Gatling Dragon slowed and halted it's progress. "What's up?"

CV jumped off the monster. "I think I see something that might just come in handy..."

* * *

"My turn!" said Hikari as she drew. Marie glowed once more, but the addition of life points did nothing to improve her mood.

Hikari: 2900

Ramesus: 1200

Looking at her card, she grimaced. 'Oh great. Vehicroid Connection Zone? That's not gonna do me any good right now!'

Adding the card to her hand, she glanced at Gyroid.

'Looks like I'm gonna be relying on you a while longer than I thought.'

"I pass again."

"DON'T GIVE UP!" shouted Jay. "YOU CAN WIN! Just do what your dad and uncle say and believe in the heart of the cards!"

"I think Ramesus plans to rip that heart OUT," muttered a despondent Tapkar.

"He's right," said Ashes. "I don't think any one card is going to help her. It's a sure bet Ramesus is ready if she draws something like Fissure."

"No," said Tea. "Jay's the one that's right. Giving up just helps Ramesus. Just give Hikari all the support you can and hope for the best."

"It really doesn't matter WHAT you do," said Ramesus. "Because in a few minutes, she'll be defeated and I'll be one step closer to dominating this planet."

Watching from their imprisoning orbs, the spirits couldn't even move.

"Got to... fight it..." muttered a weary Flame Sprite. "Ashes needs me..."

"I fear," said Creator, "that we are but pawns in his master plan. The varlet has us, and he knows it."

"But that doesn't mean that we give up either," said Flame Swordsman. "There has to be a way."

"All this chatter, and yet nothing's accomplished but killing time," mused Ramesus. "All the same, it's obvious that neither of us are getting what we want from our decks, so what say I kickstart them?" He drew. "I play the spell Dark World Draw!" The spell rose up. "Now, by removing a Dark World Monster in my graveyard from play..." Zure ejected from Ramesus's graveyard and he quickly pocketed it. "We can each draw until we have six cards."

He quickly drew, filling his hand.

"Thanks," said Hikari. "I'll remember the favor when I wipe the floor with you!" She drew, filling her hand.

"Oh, it's no favor," said Ramesus. "Because now I can summon Broww, Huntsman of the Dark World!" The monster appeared, another disturbingly creepy warrior ready to battle.

Broww, Huntsman of the Dark World: 1400/800

"And now to take care of your Gyroid, once and for all. BROWW! HUNTSMAN STRIKE!" Broww hefted his bow, drew back an arrow, and fired at Gyroid, whose perpellors blocked the strike, but at the cost of damaging them.

"And now that he can be destroyed this turn..." Ramesus grinned. "FIRE." Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon let loose it's largest blast yet, incinerating Gyroid, who was reduced to a pile of ashes with cartoon eyes before shattering.

"And now I'll place a few cards face down. Just for fun." Three face downs appeared on Ramesus's side of the field.

Hikari drew, and felt Marie's power again.

Hikari: 3100

Ramesus: 1200

'Okay, let's see. I've got almost everything I need to shut Ramesus down, but not quite yet. And if I summon any of these monsters, Ramesus is bound to just destroy them with either his dragon or one of his face downs.'

She glanced at Vehicroid Connection Zone. 'Looks like I'm gonna have the bite the bullet on this one and just summon it.' She glanced at Ramesus. 'And I just KNOW I'm gonna regret this...'

"OKAY!" she said. "You've forced my hand, Ramesus! Now I'm gonna have to do something I swore I'd never do!" She tapped her comlink, turning it off.

"Oh, really? This should be good..." He grinned.

She prepared to slam Vehicroid Connection Zone down. "HERE WE GO!"

* * *

"A choice between life and death?" asked Poison.

"Yes," said Dark Magician. "The duel will soon end, and when that comes, you'll have to make a decision... Who lives and who meets their final end."

"I choose her," said Poison without hesitation.

"Ah, but it isn't that simple," said the Dark Magician. "Think about it: The goddaughter of the man who cost you your father and me my master. You may have feelings for her, true, but what better revenge could there be than taking someone precious away from Yugi Mutou forever?"

"I'm over the whole revenge thing," said Poison. "I have something more important to fight for now."

"This from the same person that firebombed a warehouse with someone inside? Who encouraged another to cheat just to lure her to the dark side? Sure, you SAY you're a new man, but look at what you've done in the name of good. You've banished to the Shadows both the good and the evil. You've spied, cheated, even altered the memories of a fellow tam mate. You've betrayed people this entire year. You betrayed Dark Shroud. You betrayed Ramesus. What's one more betrayal?"

He glanced at Hikari.

"Let her fall alone. Save yourself. You know in your pitch black soul that it's what you truly want me to do."

Poison closed his eyes. The truth was, in a way, the spirit was right... He'd been betraying his team the entire year, redirecting his anger onto others like Shroud and Blaze instead of dealing with it.

But what got him most was what he believed the spirit was truly asking him...

"Are you saying... that you're testing my love for her?"

"Precisely," said Dark Magician. He chuckled. "Perhaps you're NOT a completely lost cause. Give up on her and I can show you the ways of power... Save her, and it will cost you EVERYTHING."

He turned to look at Hikari as she slammed Vehicroid Connection Zone down. "And it's not like there won't always be another girl just around the corner..."

* * *

Outside the Academy, Ami looked as the rainless storm clouds continued to gather.

"I hope the others are okay..." she said, worried.

"They'll be okay," said Rex. "They know what they're doing."

"Let's hope so," said Joey. "Because Yugi's still down for the count."

Barely conscious, Yugi joined Ami in looking up.

"Those clouds... What... What could they be for?"

"Let's just hope," said Tristan, "that we don't find out..."

* * *

"I PLAY VEHICROID CONNECTION ZONE!" said Hikari. "So now I combine Drillroid, Truckroid, Expressroid, and Stealthroid!"

The Connection Zone appeared, and, one by one, the four Vehicroids appeared on the tracks before rolling forward and launching themselves out and up into the sky.

"IT'S TIME TO MEET SUPER VEHICROID-STEALTH UNION!" The four Vehicroids vanished into a ball of light, which then expanded outwards, filling the arena... and when it faded, a massive mechanoid filled Hikari's side of the field.

Super Vehicroid-Stealth Union: 3600/3000

Jay blinked, then sweatdropped. "You gotta be kidding me. YOU'VE GOT A MEGAZORD IN YOUR DECK?!"

Hikari sweatdropped. She felt her eye twitch and a vein throb on her forehead. "It's NOT a Megazord. Do I LOOK like the dork?!"

"Right now? YES!" Hikari flopped.

Ramesus couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I can see why you've never used it before. But then, it won't be around long, will it?" He tapped his facedown cards. "OFFERINGS TO THE DOOMED!" The spell rose up. "Now I can destroy your face up monster, and all it costs me is my next draw!"

"Sorry," said Hikari, "but no dice! STEALTH UNION! SHATTER THAT CARD!" Stealth Union's fist began to spin and it punched, shattering the card.

"WHAT?!" Ramesus was confused.

"NOW! WHILE HE'S DISTRACTED! DESTROY BROWW! SPIRAL KNUCKLE!" Stealth Union's attack suddenly cut in half as it advanced on Broww.

Super Vehicroid-Stealth Union: 1800/3000

"An unfortunate side effect of Stealth Union? He loses half his attack when he fights on my turn."

"SAKURETSU ARMOR!" The trap card rose up on Ramesus's side of the field, and the spiked armor appeared on Broww, lashing out at the mechanical fist... and shattering instead of piercing.

The fist slammed into Broww, shattering him and Sakuretsu armor.

Hikari: 3100

Ramesus: 800

"How? HOW did you do that?!"

"Simple," said Hikari. "Vehicroid Connection Zone makes the monster summoned by it immune to effects that could destroy it, like Sakuretsu Armor and Offerings to the Doomed. Oh, and Fissure, Mirror Force, Widespread Ruin, Smashing Ground..." She started to count off the cards Stealth Union was immune to, but stopped. "On second thought, I think the performance speaks for itself."

She paused, then looked at all the spectators. "AND IF ANY OF YOU EVER TELL THE DORK I USED THIS THING, I'LL MAKE YOU WISH I LEFT YOU HANGING THERE!"

Her turn over, Stealth Union returned to it's original attack points.

Super Vehicroid-Stealth Union: 3600/3000

"Too bad the performance is over," said Ramesus. "And I summon Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World!" Another disturbing fiend warrior appeared on the field.

Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World: 1600/1300

"Now to eliminate that pitiful excuse for a machine. ULTIMATE DRAGON! STRIDENT LIGHTNING BLAST!" Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon let loose with a torrent of lightning, striking Stealth Union repeatedly. The giant mecha stumbled forward and fell, exploding as it landed.

Hikari: 2200

Ramesus: 800

"And now... BEIIGE! DIRECT ATTACK!" The sickly fiend thrust his pike forward, striking Hikari in the arm.

Hikari: 600

Ramesus: 800

"That's it for this turn. But the best is yet to come, I assure you.

Her arm numb, Hikari forced it up so she could draw. A new life point infusion from Marie helped a bit.

Hikari: 800

Ramesus: 800

"Okay, you lousy psycho... Here's where I take you DOWN!" She looked at her new card. "PERFECT! I play Skip Turn!" The spell rose up on the field. "Here's how it works. The turn count goes up by two, so draw your card."

Ramesus did so.

"And I will, too!" Hikari drew another card, and Marie glowed, giving her more life points, helpfully returning some feeling to her arm in the process.

Hikari: 1000

Ramesus: 800

"Life points are useless to you now, Hikari," said Ramesus. "The only monster that could save you is Mirage Knight, and without your Flame Swordsman, there's no way to summon him. It's over."

"Yeah, it's over all right," said Hikari. "OVER FOR YOU! I PLAY PREMATURE BURIAL!" The spell card rose up. "Now I pay 800 life points!"

Hikari: 200

Ramesus: 800

"And that lets me summon a monster from my graveyard: DARK MAGICIAN!" The first among all spellcasters reappeared on her side of the field.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"Go, Hikari! Do it!" Poison cheered for her.

"It's over," muttered Red Dark Magician. "It's almost time for you to make your choice."

"What do you mean..." He looked at Ramesus's face downs. "Oh god no..."

"AND NOW I PLAY POLYMERIZATION!" Hikari held the card up. "And I activate the special ability of Goddess with the Third Eye!" The Goddess appeared on the field. "Since she can take the place of a fusion material monster... TAKE THE PLACE OF FLAME SWORDSMAN!" A spectral image of Flame Swordsman appeared over the female monster. Both monsters swirled together. "NOW ARISE... DARK FLARE KNIGHT!" The fusion complete, a knight in black and red armor stepped forward, ready for battle.

Dark Flare Knight: 2200/800

"NOW ATTACK ULTIMATE DRAGON WITH SACRIFICIAL STRIKE!"

Dark Flare Knight raised his blade and lunged at the Ultimate Dragon. As he struck, his blade shattered and the mighty beast blasted him with lightning...

"Perfect," said Hikari. She grinned as the smoke cleared, revealing not the ashen remains of her monster, but an entirely new one.

"You didn't think I'd pull it off, but here he is: MIRAGE KNIGHT!"

Mirage Knight: 2800/2000

"Woah..." Ashes was impressed. "How'd she do that?!"

"It's simple," said Mokuba. "Dark Flare Knight has to get destroyed to summon Mirage Knight. As a bonus, when Dark Flare gets destroyed, she doesn't take any damage."

"Well it'd better have one awesome effect if it's gonna win this fight." said Jay.

"You'll see..."

"Okay, Mirage Knight!" Hikari grinned. "Time to end this! Your target is Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Power up and take him down with Illusionary Gallantry!" Mirage Knight looked up at the Ultimate Dragon... and his attack points suddenly skyrocketed.

Mirage Knight: 6700/2000

"See what I mean?" asked Mokuba. "When Mirage Knight attacks a monster, his attack points go up by the same number of points as the enemy's attack. I hate to see my dragon go down, but it's gotta be done."

"STRIKE NOW!" ordered Hikari. "AND END RAMESUS'S REIGN OF TERROR!" Mirage Knight leapt into the air and brought his lance down on the Ultimate Dragon. As he did, Ramesus casually tapped two buttons on his duel disk.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon shattered spectacularly.

Hikari: 200

Ramesus: 0

"And that's game!" said Hikari... But as the smoke cleared, she could hear something disturbing... Ramesus laughing, long and loud.

And he was flanked by Ryu Kokki.

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"But... But the duel's over! You lost!"

"No. YOU'VE lost." The smoke faded entirely, revealing both Call of the Haunted... and Vampire's Kiss.

"no..." Hikari couldn't help but stare at that trap card. Her mind flashed back to her duel against Dark Shroud. "But that card was lost in the Shadow Realm!"

"Think again," said Ramesus. "I've been collecting cards from my fallen minions for a while now. Dark Shroud's Vampire's Kiss was no different. You see, my dear, when you attacked my Ultimate Dragon, I activated both Vampire's Kiss and Call of the Haunted simultaneously. Thus, I revive a zombie on my field, and that zombie in turn protected Vampire's Kiss. And you know the rest: I cannot lose the duel while Vampire's Kiss is on the field. It cannot be destroyed while I have a zombie in play, and when my life points are at zero, for every monster on my side of the field, one of your's is destroyed."

Bats flew out of Vampire's Kiss, swarming over Mirage Knight and shattering the noble warrior.

"And look at that... You don't have any cards on the field or in your hand. I guess that means your turn's over." Ramesus grinned.

"It... It's over..." Jay wanted to cry. "She lost."

"NO! HIKARI! RUN AWAY!" Ashes struggled to free herself and help her friend, but she couldn't move more than a few inches.

"Run? Where to? You're mine now, Hikari Wheeler." Ramesus drew, but that was just a formality. "RYU KOKKI! ATTACK HER DIRECTLY WITH SOUL STEALING BITE!" Skulls flew off of Ryu Kokki and latched onto Hikari with their teeth. Once more, darkness burst forth from each skull.

"AYIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hikari's shreak of pain was ear-splitting. As the attack subsided, she fell to her knees, completely spent. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, her vision blurring.

Hikari: 0

Ramesus: 0

"HIKARI!" Poison struggled.

"One more attack and she's his newest trophy," noted Dark Magician. "And a grisly one. Make your choice."

Poison glared at the spirit. "FREE ME NOW!"

Dark Magician smirked. "I thought as much." He raised his staff and aimed it at Ramesus. It glowed, and suddenly Shadow Spell flew out of Ramesus's pocket.

Instantly, the chains faded, and Poison hurried to his feet.

"Make your escape now," said Dark Magician.

"And now to make you an extra special prize," said Ramesus. "Beiige? Skewer her. I think I'll preserve her like a butterfly in a insect collection.

Beiige hefted his pike up and thrust it at Hikari.

Time seemed to stop as the pike struck. Hikari, unable to dodge, watched it's approach... and gasped in horror as Poison suddenly thrust himself between Beiige and her.

"P-Poison..." Tears welled in her eyes as Poison fell backwards, his head landing in her lap. "Why?"

"Because... What's love... Without sacrifice?" Slowly, his eyes closed.

"POISONNNNN!!!!" Hikari, despite being completely spent, hugged the fallen duelist, but he couldn't respond.

"It's no use, my dear. His soul's in the Shadow Realm now. Oh, wait, there he is..." Slowly, a new cross appeared with an unconscious Poison on it. The pike was gone, but the wound remained.

"I give him, oh, about an hour in that condition."

"The fool..." muttered Dark Magician. "He chose to save the girl after all."

"Pity he didn't think about saving you," noted Ramesus as a glowing orb encased Dark Magician. "But the more, the merrier..."

Ramesus turned back towards Hikari, and slowly, the skulls holding her lifted her up. Weakened as she was by the shadow game, she could offer no resistance.

"I think one last blast from Ryu Kokki should do the trick, don't you agree?" He held her cheeks with his hand. "Yes, I think you do. Very well. RYU KOKKI..."

Out of nowhere, something small and hard flew through the air, striking Ramesus in the head. As he staggered back, he looked down at the object... and saw Spider-Rock staring back at him.

"What in the world?!"

"See?"

Ramesus turned, astonished, to see CyberV and Nat standing at the entrance to the arena, flanked by their spirits.

"I TOLD you it would come in handy..." CyberV glared at Ramesus. Joking aside, they each knew the other meant business.

One way or another, the war was about to be decided once and for all...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: The Duel of Destiny! CyberV vs. Ramesus!


	48. The Duel of Destiny! CyberV vs Ramesus!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh: The Arcane Chronicles: As CyberV and Nat rushed to Arena 3, Hikari found herself facing off against Ramesus, and without Flame Swordsman, who had been stolen by a very reluctant Allis. To buy time, CV forced the creation of a new duel spirit, Red Dark Magician, who helped Poison escape his magical bonds just as Ramesus defeated Hikari. Rushing in quickly, Poison took a brutal blow meant to finish off Hikari. Unperturbed, Ramesus prepared to try to finish her off a second time, only to be interrupted as CV and Nat finally arrived, setting the stage for the final battle of the Scepter War!

* * *

Arena 3 was like something out of a nightmare. Everywhere, students and professors hung from crosses, helpless to save themselves. One of the braver ones, Poison, now hung among them with an ominous dark hole in his chest. Three duel spirits lay trapped within glowing spheres, hovering above them all, while a fourth, the Red Dark Magician, stood by, powerless to do anything without his human partner. A girl he'd manipulated and blackmailed into helping him, Allis, was on her knees, praying for salvation from the terror she'd been forced to help perpetuate. One that had tried to save them all, Hikari, was suspended above the ground by skulls, holding her with their teeth.

The one that had created this horror, Ramesus, stood near Hikari now. A moment ago, he'd tried to finish her off, to add her to his collection.

Then, out of nowhere, he'd been struck in the head by the most unlikely of enemies: Spider-Rock. He ignored the brief flash of pain to glare in the direction the overplayed joke had come flying from.

Standing at the entrance were CyberV and Nat, the last two obstacles he had to conquer before he could be truly secure in his plans. They were flanked by their duel spirits, each ready to fight.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. You just can't resist dramatic last minute rescues, can you?"

CyberV narrowed his eyes. "Ramesus."

Ramesus couldn't help but note that CyberV looked far different than the last time he'd seen the young Warrior. He seemed more focused, more determined... And he had the Scepter. 

"CV!" Jay whooped for joy. "ALL RIGHT!"

CV looked at his captured friends. "Glad to see you're okay," he said. "I've missed you."

"Likewise. Ummm... Any chance you could, I dunno, GET US DOWN FROM HERE!" He pulled, trying to move. "My arms are falling asleep here!"

"I think that can be arranged," said CV evenly.

"Easier said than done," warned Ramesus. "You may have the Scepter, but the true power lies within ME. Free your friends if you can... But THEY might take issue with it." As one, Beiige and Ryu Kokki turned towards CV and Nat, and a horde of Winged Minion materialized.

CV lifted the Scepter up. "Nat? I think we might be in for a longer fight than I thought..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 48: The Duel of Destiny! CyberV vs. Ramesus!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

As one, the Minion rushed towards the heroes.

"BRING IT ON!" shouted Nat as she extended her disk to play mode. Without hesitation, she slammed her spirit's card down upon it. "CYBER DRAGON! STRIDENT BLAZE!"

Cyber Dragon materialized fully and let loose with a gigantic torrent of lightning that vaporized Winged Minion left and right.

"You guys ready to rock and roll?" asked CV

Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes Black Dragon roared.

"What they said," responded Rocket Warrior as CV placed their cards onto his disk.

"Okay. Hyo, RW, try to get to Hikari. Red-Eyes? Cover me. I've got business with Ramesus."

"You've got it!" said Rocket Warrior as he flew onto Hyozanryu's back. The massive diamond dragon flew into the air and began firing diamond shards at every enemy monster in range.

CV set his sights on Beiige and Ryu Kokki. He twirled the Scepter in his hand.

"Let's go!" He charged the two monsters without fear, Red-Eyes flanking him from above. 

"Do you really want to fail so badly?" asked Ramesus. "Very well. I'll happily oblige you. BEIIGE! RYU KOKKI! DESTROY HIM!"

Ryu Kokki grinned as skulls flew off his body and right at CV like cannon shells. However, Red-Eyes was ready and countered each skull with a blast of it's inferno fire blast; none even came close to CV as he closed on Beiige, who readied his pike.

As CV came into range, Beiige thrust the pike at him. CV, seeing the strike, ducked and rolled to the right, coming up behind the monster and swinging the sharp end of the Scepter. Beiige, however, brought the pike back around, stopping the slash before it could hit him.

"This physical display is interesting... but pointless," muttered the Red Dark Magician. 

"Oh, I agree completely," said Ramesus as he turned to the new spirit. "But it DOES have the advantage of leaving you wide open..." He thrust his hand out, and a golden orb appeared around the new spirit, trapping him.

"I suppose I should have seen that coming..."

As more Winged Minion appeared all around her, Nat bit back a curse. "Oh, so THAT'S how you want to play it? Fine by me. I can play rough, too! CYBER END DRAGON! COME FORTH!" Cyber Dragon vanished as Cyber End Dragon took it's place, roaring as it's three heads set about annihilating the enemy with viciousness and zeal.

Circling the battle from above, Hyozanryu and Rocket Warrior saw more Minion coming at them from below.

"I've got this!" said Rocket Warrior. "Go get Hikari!" He quickly transformed into invincible mode and blasted forward, ramming through the Minion like they weren't even there.

Seeing Hikari below, Hyozanryu reared up and went into a powerdive, firing diamond shards with precision, striking each skull holding her and getting low fast enough to catch her with it's tail.

As it looked at her quizzingly, Hikari's eyes slowly began to open.

"You... sure took... your sweet time..." Hyozanryu seemed to chuckle. Obviously, Hikari was going to be just fine.

Seeing an advantage in Rocket Warrior's approach, Red-Eyes went into a powerdive as well, spinning in midair to dodge the deadly skulls of Ryu Kokki, even as he barreled towards his opponent. Slamming into the zombie at top speed, Red Eyes flung the zombie backwards into the arena wall, before quickly firing a series of fire blasts. The zombie only managed to look up right before being annihilated by the bombardment.

Beiige repeatedly thrust the pike at CV, who continued to just barely dodge it. One more powerful thrust brought the pike just inches from CV's heart. Instead of falling back, the Warrior grabbed the shaft and pulled to his left, throwing Beiige off balance. Taking advantage of the monster's momentary weakness, CV thrust the Scepter forward with his free hand, skewering the monster, who shattered into holographic dust.

"Checkmate!" CV snapped his fingers.

"I'm impressed. I don't think any duelist has ever fought a monster without another monster before." Ramesus mock-applauded the display. "But acrobatics won't win this battle."

"True," said CV. "But they sure do help!" CV glanced at Ramesus' jacket pocket. Sticking out of it was a Winged Minion card. All things considered, it was far too tempting a target. "Of course, so does having friends." He stepped to the right, revealing Rocket Warrior, who slammed into Ramesus and knocked the villain back several feet, but failed to knock him over.

"ENOUGH!" roared Ramesus as he swatted Rocket Warrior away.

"OW! Hey, watch it, pal! Do you know how hard it is to bang dents outta this head!" Rocket Warrior fumed.

"I'll do far more than dent your head, fool. I'll drain every ounce of lifeforce from your immaterial body and use it to fuel my ultimate plan."

"...Okay, you are DEFINITELY never invited to our holiday parties." Rocket Warrior sweatdropped.

"After today, the only holiday this planet will know will be the anniversary of my rise to godhood." Ramesus chuckled. "But your bravado is heartwarming all the same." He raised his hand over his head, and darkness swirled around his arm, coalescing into a wicked looking ebony blade.

"I suppose the only answer is to remove your heart!" He swung at CV without warning, but the Warrior managed to block it with the Scepter.

"Don't you know that evil always loses in the end? It's a rule!"

"I'm rewriting the game!" He spun and swung again, and once more CV blocked it.

"...You know," said CV. "If we spout many more cliches, I'm gonna start to think that we're in a really bad internet fiction story!"

"Oh please. Don't be so pedantic. That's far too ludicrous a thought, given the situation you're in."

"So true." CV shoved hard, forcing Ramesus's sword hand away long enough for him to thrust his elbow into the villain's chest, staggering him momentarily. "But it would explain Big Andy..."

Both paused... And shuddered.

"Forget I said that."

"Done." Ramesus swung again.

Ashes watched the battle and sighed. "So much for violence never solving anyone's problems."

Mokuba sweatdropped. "I don't remember this much quipping back in the old days."

"If it helps, I don't remember swordplay either," responded Tea.

Nat punched a Winged Minion in the side of it's head as Cyber End Dragon continued to blast away, then turned to her right as she heard a familiar sound. As she did, she found herself swarmed by the creatures.

"GET OFF OF ME!" she shouted as she swung her arms to knock them away... And as she did, she felt a pulling sensation, followed by a coolness on her arm.

She couldn't believe it.

They'd just stolen her duel disk right off of her arm.

"CYBER END DRAGON! STOP THEM!" The dragon turned to attack, when Nat's eyes went wide. "STOP!" The attack, building in the dragon's mouths, died down. "If you blast them... You blast the deck... and yourself."

Helpless to stop them, Nat watched as they spirited her disk and deck away, even as more Minion surrounded her.

"HEY! GIVE THE GIRL SOME BREATHING ROOM!" Gearfried the Iron Knight suddenly leapt in, slashing away the Minion closest to Nat, before a barrage of diamonds shattered the rest. Nat turned to see Hyozanryu and a recovered Hikari rushing to her side.

"Nice timing," said Nat. "But they've got my deck."

"I'm more worried about US!" said Hikari as more Minion appeared around them.

"Isn't it glorious?" asked Ramesus as he dodged a slash from the Scepter. "My plan is nearly complete, and in just a moment I'll have everything I need to see it through."

"Not happening," said CV. "I'm going to stop you. That's a promise." He stepped back and swung the Scepter in a wide arc, creating a stream of energy that lanced towards Ramesus.

"Then you're about to BREAK that promise!" Ramesus swung his sword straight down, cleaving CV's energy wave in half. The strike passed on either side of Ramesus... and CV grinned as the severed energy wave struck the crosses of both Ashes and Jay. "WHAT!"

Both duelists landed gracelessly as their bindings shattered, freeing them from their imprisonment.

"OW! My achin' tailbone..." Jay rubbed his butt. "Hey! I can move again!"

"WE'RE FREE!" Ashes hugged Jay enthusiastically.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be SICK." Ramesus's stomach turned at the sight of that display. "So, you weren't even aiming for me, were you?"

"Nope," said CV. "But I appreciate the assist all the same." He smirked.

"HEY!" shouted Magyk. "What about the rest of us!"

CV sweatdropped. "Errr... Just hang in there?"

"...You are SO lucky I can't move right now..." muttered Magyk.

"If we could have a LITTLE focus?" Ramesus sighed, exasperated. "If you think increasing your numbers will help you... Think again!" As he said this, Winged Minion began materializing everywhere.

"You REALLY know how to spoil a moment, you know that?" Jay said it with an annoyed tone.

"Who needs numbers," asked CV, "when I've got ROCKET BURST!" He held up the spell card. "ROCKET WARRIOR! Time for a growth spurt!"

"Oh yeah!" The duel spirit pumped it's fist. "I love this part!" He blasted up into the air.

"You see, with Rocket Burst, Rocket Warrior gets to evolve... to level TEN." In the air, Rocket Warrior erupted into a massive explosion. As the flames and smoke cleared, in his place was a gigantic mecha armed to the teeth. 

"Go on. Tell the jerk the best part." Rocket Warrior LV10 chuckled.

"'The best part'?" asked Ramesus, wary.

"When he's summoned, he can destroy every enemy monster in one volley. NAIL THE WINGED MINION WITH SUPREME ROCKET BARRAGE!" In response, the evolved spirit let loose with a phalanx of missiles that struck around the Minion everywhere in the arena. The massive room was filled with smoke, explosions, and the sound of Minions shattering into pixels.

"Well... That's annoying." Ramesus managed to say before CV burst from the smoke right in front of him, swinging the Scepter. Surprised but not off guard, Ramesus stepped back, but not quickly enough to avoid the slash completely. The tip of the Scepter slashed through his jacket pocket, shredding the Winged Minion card within. 

"MY ARMY!" Ramesus glared with pure hate in his eyes.

"It's time... is UP!" CV smirked.

* * *

Mouse braced herself as Exodia erupted, overwhelmed by the endless horde of Winged Minion. At the same time, LazyMan and Ikke were blown backwards as Exxod and Guardian Angel Joan were engulfed by the ceaseless wave of demons and crushed explosively under their weight.

"FALL BACK!" shouted Mouse. "We need to regroup!"

"I hate to say this," pointed out StrongMan, "but we don't have anywhere to go!" As they looked around, they could see that StrongMan was right. As the battle had worn on and their friends and allies dwindled, they'd been herded towards the gymnasium. Now dead center, they were surrounded on all sides by Winged Minion.

"Get ready," said LazyMan as he readied his Giant Soldier of Stone. "They may get us, but we're gonna make them WORK for it."

"Agreed," said Ikke as he summoned Night Assailant. "If we are to fall, let our fall be GLORIOUS."

"If it's all the same to you," said Mouse as she prepared a few traps, "I'd rather not fall at all!"

"Tell THEM that!" shouted StrongMan as, en masse, the Winged Minion rose like a gigantic wave, ready to crash down upon them.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" shouted LazyMan. All four of them tensed, ready for the inevitable... when suddenly, a Minion screamed. Opening his eyes, LazyMan watched as the creature was suddenly torn in half like it was made of paper.

Another scream. And five more. All accompanied by that sound of paper tearing. The air filled with pixels for a moment, and when their vision cleared, the four duelists were all alone.

"What... What just happened?" asked Mouse.

Ikke smirked. "The Warrior happened."

* * *

Infuriated, Ramesus threw the remains of his Winged Minion card to the floor.

"You've grown stronger than I realized," he said. "But not quite OBSERVANT enough." He reached out as he heard the sound of paper tearing and caught Nat's duel disk as it fell. Looking up at where it had come from, CV saw two Winged Minion vanish... and a smouldering Gyroid between them and Rocket Warrior LV10.

"Sorry," shouted Hikari as she and Nat ran to join him. "They had Nat's deck.. If I'd let those last ones get blasted, it would've burned her Cyber Dragon card."

"And destroyed her spirit monster with it." CV sighed. "Good call. Sorry, Nat."

"You didn't know."

Jay and Ashes ran to join the group.

"Well well well," said Ramesus. "Isn't this touching? The whole gang, together again." He thumbed through Nat's deck, pulling out her Cyber Dragons. Disdainfully, he tossed the rest of her deck and disk back to her. "Well, mostly." He threw one of the Cyber Dragons into the air, and a golden orb appeared around it. Cyber End Dragon roared and shattered as Cyber Dragon appeared within, trapped like most of the spirits. "And that leaves two copies to put into my deck." Ramesus slipped the remaining two into his ever-more dangerous deck.

"You won't have them for long, Ramesus." CV hefted the Scepter up.

"If you dare attack me again, Warrior, it had best be in a duel. Otherwise I'll simply annihilate all my precious captives, both human and spirit alike."

CV growled softly in frustration as he slowly lowered the Scepter.

"That's better," said Ramesus in a mocking tone. "Now, it seems the time has come to bring this drama to a close... But to do that, we need the rest of our remaining players..." He grinned and thrust both his arms out, creating two waves of darkness that blasted through the walls of the arena but did no damage.

* * *

In the gymnasium, Mouse barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before the wave of darkness came. Before any of those present could react, they were spirited away without a trace.

* * *

Outside, Yugi's eyes opened.

"Joey? What's going on?" He sat up, seeing that he was just outside the Academy. Tristan, Rex, and Ami were standing nearby, keeping watch.

"Not much, far as I can tell, pal. Things've been kinda quiet. No way ta know if that's good or bad."

"Offhand," shouted Tristan. "I'D SAY BAD!" His shout was in response to the second wave of darkness. Rex prepared to summon a monster to fight it, but it was futile. In less than two seconds, the entire field was devoid of human life.

* * *

The waves returned to Arena 3 only seconds after they'd departed. Swirling together, they faded to reveal all they had gathered.

"NOT my choice of travel..." muttered Rex.

"Anybody got a barf bag?" asked Ami. "I think I'm gonna be sick..."

"Ikke..." Allis looked up, seeing her very disoriented beloved.

"So glad you could all make it," said Ramesus. They all turned to face the lunatic, slowly realizing the horror around him.

"You are one sick puppy, ya know that, right?" asked Joey.

"Yes. I'm so glad you approve." Ramesus chuckled.

"YUGI!" Tea shouted from her cross. "UP HERE!"

Yugi turned to look at her. "TEA! Don't worry! We'll get you out of this!"

"You? I doubt that," said Ramesus. "You're exhausted. I can see it in your eyes. Working with your better half is quite draining these days, I see. Now do be silent. I have a performance to proceed with."

"You're insane, Ramesus. You're toying with the forces of darkness itself, and there's always a price to pay in the end for such actions."

"Aw, you're just saying that because I've got your wife."

"Just get on with whatever it is you have to say, Ramesus," said CV. "The sooner you finish talking, the sooner I can put an end to this."

"Oh, but of course. I'll get right to pummeling you in a duel momentarily. But first, it's time to clear the air on a few things. FIRST! A huge round of applause to Allis!"

Allis's eyes went wide. Startled, Ikke turned to see her for the first time.

"What do you mean by that?" Ikke glared at Ramesus, furious.

"SHE'S A STINKING TRAITOR!" shouted Forest.

"SHE'S NO BETTER THAN THE BREWS!" added Drift.

"HEY! We're not that bad!" Bubble shouted back, sweatdropping.

"Now now. Behave, children," scolded Ramesus. "Perhaps I should recap for the dashing prince. You see, several months ago, I gave dear Allis a choice... Join me or suffer for all eternity. And despite the best efforts of a brave and noble StrongMan, she chose to serve."

"I... don't remember that..." StrongMan was confused.

"Of course you don't. That was a part of the bargain that was struck. I spared her and you in exchange for her servitude. Wiped your memory so you wouldn't be able to warn anyone." He glanced at Ikke. "I was kind of shocked she didn't ask me to spare YOU..."

Allis cringed as Ikke looked at her.

"But then, she played her role beautifully. Spying for me for months, delaying the Warrior so I could finish off his best friend... And toping it all off by delivering Hikari to me on a silver platter with a fresh side of Flame Swordsman. Simply perfection, yes..."

"It... It wasn't like that..." started Allis.

"Oh, right. Of course. How could I forget?" Ramesus chided himself. "You betrayed me, too!" He chuckled. "You went and got your bid stupid clod of a boyfriend to restore the Warrior's confidence! I must say, for a simpering coward, you've got quite the devious streak! Of course, there IS a price to pay for treachery..." 

Ramesus thrust his hand forward, and the dark waves returned, surrounding StrongMan.

"HEY! BACK OFF!" StrongMan reached for his deck, but it was hopeless. The waves enveloped him and swirled about... And as they receded, StrongMan reappeared... as a 4 inch tall action figure.

"NO!" Allis shouted in sheer horror.

"Well, he wasn't much of a hero in the end, but at least he now has kung-fu grip..." Ramesus shrugged.

"You lousy..." Mouse clenched her fists.

"Temper temper, my dear." Ramesus wagged his finger admonishingly. He slowly walked towards Allis. "So let's recap. You betrayed everyone who believed in you, turned on me when I promised to protect you, oh, and you forgot that your boyfriend might not make it out of this in one piece in the heat of the moment. Bravo." He placed his hand on her duel disk. It slowly transformed, becoming jet black. "You've DEFINITELY got what it takes." He knelt down and whispered the last part in her ear. "Welcome to the Evil Duelists."

He turned and walked away from her as her emotions boiled up. Kneeling on all fours, she screamed mournfully. "NO! NONONONONO! IT CAN'T BE!" She broke down, sobbing.

Disgusted, Ikke turned away from her.

"Gee," said Ramesus, suddenly chipper. "That was fun! Now, who's next on my torment list?" He glanced up at Poison. "Oh, right! The OTHER traitor!" He turned to Hikari. "You know, he's probably not gonna make it. All your fault, too, for being too weak to beat me. And YOUR'S..." he said, turning to CV. "For making that duel spirit. If he wasn't free, he wouldn't have gotten run through like a pig on a spit."

"It's not a normal wound, is it?" asked Yugi.

"VERY perceptive!" Ramesus snapped his fingers and pointed at Yugi. "I guess that's why YOU'RE the king! Indeed, that wound's make of shadow energy. The longer it festers, the less chance he'll ever wake up!"

"You're tying his fate into our duel, aren't you?" asked CV.

"Indeedy-do! Got it in one!" Ramesus laughed. "You win, he wakes up right as rain. You lose... Well... You won't be around long enough to worry about that anyway, so let's move on." He walked towards CV. "You know, I wouldn't be the sociopath I am today if it wasn't for you."

CV said nothing, but narrowed his eyes.

"Yep, that first day you were here, and I had to save you from the big bad Scepter? I gained power that day you could only dream of. And all because you were too weak to handle it. Heck, I bet you still are." He swept his hands towards the captured students and teachers. "These aren't MY victims... They're YOUR victims!" He grinned for the "benefit" of the captive audience. "That's right, everyone! This is all his fault! The brave hero's actually the one responsible for this entire fiasco!"

There were murmurs from the students.

"Don't listen to him!" shouted Ashes. "He's just trying to psyche you out before the match."

"I know," said CV. "And it's not working. It doesn't matter who's to blame... All that matters now is setting things right."

"Plus," said Jay, "there's a problem with your logic... WHO'S GONNA BELIEVE THE GUY STRAPPING THEM TO THOSE CROSSES!"

Ramesus blinked. "Oh. Right. Good point." He shrugged. Jay flopped. Ramesus glanced down at CV's deck holder. "What? Only one? You mean I don't get to pick which deck gets decimated?"

'He doesn't know about my new deck,' thought CV. 'That gives me an edge. I'd better not waste it.'

"He's been watching every duel in the school all year," said Jay. "studying them and memorizing our strategies."

"We figured that," said LazyMan. "Which is why CyberV's got a new deck ready to go."

"New deck? Oh goodie!" Ramesus rubbed his hands together in exaggerated glee. "I guess this might be interesting after all!"

"Let's just get this over with," said CV as Rocket Warrior returned to normal. "It's time to take you down!" He lifted his right wrist to his mouth. "MILLENNIUM POWER!" Instinctively, he threw the Scepter and Wdjat into the air above him and ripped off his jacket, putting it back on like a cape; the sleeves, with just a flick of his wrist, had tied themselves together. The Scepter came down, and he caught it deftly as his hair rose up. A white streak appeared in the front of his hair. The Millennium Wdjat came down, and CyberV struck it with the Scepter. The Wdjat sunk into the orb at the end of the Scepter, and another wdjat appeared on CyberV's forehead. "SPIRITS! RETURN TO MY DECK!" In response, Hyozanryu, Rocket Warrior, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon all turned into beams of light which shot back into their respective cards. "LET'S GO!"

Ramesus sighed. "Kids today. No patience at all. Fine, if you're so determined to go down in flames... Allow me to provide the match."

"The stakes are this: All or nothing. You win, you've got all the power. I win, everything goes back to the way it should be."

"Agreed," said Ramesus. Both of them extended their duel disks.

CyberV: 8000

Ramesus: 8000

"And I'll start this torment," said Ramesus as he drew a sixth card. "I play Dark World Corridor!" He held up the spell card. "Now I can search my deck for one card with Dark World in it's name, as long as I send another card in my hand to the graveyard!" He discarded one card and another ejected from his deck. He took it, grinning maliciously.

"And now that he's been discarded by a card effect, I can special summon Sillva, Warlord of the Dark World in attack mode!" A gruesome armored warrior appeared on the field. 

Sillva, Warlord of the Dark World: 2300/1400

"But that's not all! He's lonely and wants some company, so I'll play Graceful Charity!" The spell card rose up. "Now I get to draw three cards from my deck, and discard two to the graveyard!" He did so. "And that activates their special abilities! Both can be summoned to the field when discarded, just like Sillva! So join the festivities Beiige... and Goldd!" Tow more gruesome warriors materialized.

Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World: 1600/1300

Goldd, Wu-Lord of the Dark World: 2300/1400

"That will do for now," said Ramesus. "But I must say, they can't wait to play with you." He chuckled.

"My turn!" said CV as he drew. "And I play the spell card Heart of the Underdog!" The spell card rose up. "Now, during each draw phase, if the card I draw is a normal monster, I can draw again, as long as I show you the monster."

Ramesus yawned. "BOOOOORRRRRINGGGGG..."

"And now I summon Gyaku-Gire Panda in attack mode!" A gigantic angry panda appeared on the field.

Gyaku-Gire Panda: 800/1600

"And now his special ability activates! For every monster on your side of the field, he gains 500 attack points! That means his attack's going up to 2300!" Gyaku-Gire Panda burst into flames as he glared at the three Dark World monsters.

Gyaku-Gire Panda: 2300/1600

"And since he's outnumbered, I'll play the spell Reasoning!" Reasoning rose up. "Now I discard cards from my deck until I reach a monster. If you call it's level correctly, it's sent to the graveyard. If not, I get to special summon it to the field." CV discarded two cards and held up one monster card.

"Let's say it's a Level 6." Ramesus shrugged.

"Let's not. It's level four." CV turned it around, revealing Sacred Crane. "Come on out and join us, Sacred Crane!" The beautiful bird appeared, sitting down in defense mode.

Sacred Crane: 1600/400

"And since it was special summoned, Crane's special ability lets me draw one card!" CV drew.

"And now I'll place two cards facedown." Two cards appeared behind Panda and Crane. "NOW PANDA! ATTACK GOLDD WITH BAMBOO CRASH!"

Gyaku-Gire Panda roared as it whipped out a massive bamboo staff. In response, Goldd raised it's massive axe. Both charged one another and struck simultaneously. The resultant explosion decimated both monsters utterly.

"Sacrificing your Panda to destroy one of my strongest creatures? A wise move, but now it's two against one, Warrior." Ramesus chuckled. "Not your best work." In any case, it's my turn." He drew. "And I'll let Beiige hunt your bird!"

Beiige hefted his pike and threw it, spearing Sacred Crane and shattering the monster.

"And now Sillva... Attack directly!" Sillva charged CV with his blades drawn.

"NOT SO FAST!" said CV. "REVEAL!" He tapped his disk. "My Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!" The quickplay spell rose up. "When this card is activated, it lets me summon a Kuriboh monster from my deck... In this case Winged Kuriboh!" Winged Kuriboh materialized, right in the path of Sillva.

Winged Kuriboh: 300/200

It sweatdropped as the monster's blades came down on it, shattering the little monster.

"And I'll follow up with another quickplay Spell: Rapid Lambs!" The card rose up. "This card lets me summon one token for every monster destroyed in battle this turn, and there were two of them!" The Lamb Tokens materialized.

Lamb Token x2: 0/0

"Ah, a MUCH better move. Very well. Two cards facedown, and that ends my turn." Two cards appeared behind Sillva and Beiige.

"And it's my draw!" said CV. He glanced at his hand. "And I'll start by playing E-Emergency Call!" The spell rose up. "This lets me bring an Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand." Bladedge ejected from his deck and into his waiting hand. "And now I'll sacrifice the Lamb Tokens to summon Elemental Hero Bladedge!" The two tokens faded away as a bright light signaled the arrival of the golden Elemental Hero.

Elemental Hero Bladedge: 2600/1800

"Next I'll play Mirage of Nightmare! During your standby phase, I'll get to draw until I have four cards in my hand, but at the end of the turn, I'll have to discard them." The card rose up. "And one card facedown." A card appeared next to Mirage.

"Now Bladedge! Attack Sillva with slice and dice!" Bladedge rocketed forward, his jetpack flaming. Without hesitating, he slashed through Sillva, shattering the Dark World fiend.

CyberV: 8000

Ramesus: 7700

Ramesus, non-plussed, smirked. "Reveal Magical Summoning!" The card rose up. "This trap activates only when a monster with over 2000 attack points strikes. Now we each get to summon a spellcaster from our decks, as long as it has 2000 or fewer attack points." He selected one and placed it in facedown defense position.

"Fine by me!" CV's deck ejected a card. "I'll summon Injection Fairy Lily in attack mode!"

Injection Fairy Lily: 400/1500

"As if she can save you," scoffed Ramesus.

"He's doing all right," muttered Hikari. "So far."

"Yes," said Yugi. "But I have a feeling that Ramesus has some dangerous tricks up his sleeve."

"Yeah," muttered Jay. "It's like he's holding back. Waiting for something."

Nat glanced up at the orbs holding the captured spirits. "And why did he take our spirits?"

"I don't know," admitted Yugi. "But whatever his reason, this duel's almost certainly involved with his master plan."

"It's my move," said Ramesus as he drew.

"And now that it is, Mirage of Nightmare activates!" CV's spell glowed. "Now I can refresh my hand to four cards." He drew the needed cards. "And now I'll activate my quickplay spell card Emergency Provisions!" The spell rose up. "Now I can sacrifice Mirage, gain 1000 life points, and not lose my new cards!" Both cards faded away.

CyberV: 9000

Ramesus: 7700

"How pedantic and predictable," lamented Ramesus. "In any case, I'll switch my facedown monster to attack mode. The just summoned facedown monster rose up, revealing Magician of Faith.

Magician of Faith: 300/400

"Since she was flipped, I get to regain a spell card from my graveyard." A card ejected from his grave, and Ramesus snapped it up. "Namely, my Graceful Charity." He chuckled. "Now I'll tribute Magician of Faith to summon Ryu Kokki!" Magician of Faith vanished, and in her place was the demon of skulls, Ryu Kokki.

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"Now I'll activate my Graceful Charity!" He discarded two cards as he drew three new ones. "And now I play Premature Burial!" The spell rose up. "First, I pay 800 of my life points!"

CyberV: 9000

Ramesus: 6900

"Then I can special summon a monster from my graveyard... The just discarded Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The ground erupted as Blue-Eyes crashed through the floor from below them. Rising up, it roared with rage.

Blue-Eyes White Dragon: 3000/2500

"NOT good..." Joey clenched his fists. 

"Oh, it's even worse than you think," said Ramesus. "I play Fissure!" The spell rose up. "This destroys the monster on the field with the lowest attack, and that happens to be your Injection Fairy Lily!"

The ground, already damaged from Blue-Eyes' entrance, opened wider, right under Lily. The poor monster could only scream in surprise as the widening crack swallowed her up.

"And now to do some damage. BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON! DESTROY BLADEDGE WITH WHITE LIGHTNING!" Blue-Eyes let loose with a torrent of electricity that shattered Bladedge.

CyberV: 8600

Ramesus: 6900

"BEIIGE! RYU KOKKI! ATTACK DIRECTLY, AND MAKE HIM SUFFER!" Ryu Kokki shot out skulls that latched onto CV, releasing darkness. Weakened, CV couldn't dodge Beiige's pike, which went right through him. The skulls vanished, dumping CV to his hands and knees.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 6900

"Hurts, doesn't it?" asked the sadistic villain as CV gasped, breathing heavily.

"Not... enough." CV staggered to his feet. "And now... It's my turn to strike back!"

"It's time we got involved!" said Rocket Warrior as he appeared next to CV. "Send us in, Coach!"

CV nodded as he drew. He looked at his new card. "The card I just drew is Hyozanryu," he said, turning it around to show Ramesus. "Now Heart of the Underdog activates, allowing me to draw another card." Heart of the Underdog glowed green as CV drew.

"Now I'll play Ancient Rules!" The spell rose up. "This lets me summon a normal monster level 5 or higher without a sacrifice... and I choose Hyozanryu!" Hyozanryu materialized on the field as Ancient Rules faded away.

Hyozanryu: 2100/2800

"And he won't be alone! I play Yin-Yang Fusion!" The spell appeared on the field as a Yin-Yang symbol materialized in the air. "Now, I remove one Rocket Warrior and one Red-Eyes Black Dragon in my deck from play!" The two cards ejected, and CV pocketed them. "And then I get to special summon their fusion counterparts! I'm sure you remember Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon!" Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared and flew into the Yin-Yang symbol, which began to spin rapidly. As they emerged, each had taken on characteristics of the other.

Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon: 2400/2100

All three spirit monsters hovered before CV, ready to fight.

"All my spirits are ready to help me take you down, Ramesus. I hope you're ready to lose."

In response, Ramesus began to laugh. Low, at first, but it quickly built into a maniacal cackle.

"YOU FOOL! I've been WAITING for you to summon your spirit monsters!" He thrust his hands up, and the orbs containing the captured spirits began to rise up through the damaged roof of the arena.

"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON!" Flame Sprite punched her prison's wall, but to no avail. Forming a circle, the five orbs rose into the dark clouds Ryu Kokki had summoned and vanished from sight. Slowly, the orbs began to spin in that circle.

"Observe," said Ramesus as, without warning, darkness enveloped the three spirits on CV's side of the field. Around them for only a moment, it receded and flowed to Ramesus, who channeled it into the clouds. "I've just sampled the energy from your three little friends and sent it into the clouds above, giving it the extra power it needed. Even now, those five orbs containing the duel spirits are spinning, creating a vortex within the cloud. In thirty minutes, the vortex will reach full strength. When that happens, the entire city will be annihilated, every person within it sent to the Shadow Realm! And after that, the vortex will spread, covering the entire globe and leaving this world all but abandoned... A world I shall shape in my own image!"

"You sick twisted-"

"Ah ah ah..." Ramesus wagged his finger. "You don't have time for insults, Warrior. You'd best work quickly now... Because if you don't defeat me before the vortex is completed... YOU WON'T SURVIVE TO FINISH THE DUEL AT ALL!"

Yugi gasped. "NO! It's not possible!"

"This is really bad..." muttered Tristan. "He's got half an hour to stop this lunatic!"

"Less," said Nat. "More like 29 minutes and dropping."

CV glared at Ramesus. "You're completely out of your mind..."

"So true," said Ramesus, laughing. "Well come on then, Warrior! Stop me if you can! Otherwise, it's ARMAGEDDON IN THIRTY MINUTES!" And right on cue, lightning began to flash from deep within the dark clouds...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: The Ticking Clock: Armageddon in Thirty Minutes!


	49. Armageddon in Thirty Minutes!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The war between Good and Evil reached it's climax as CyberV and Nat arrived at Arena 3, just in time to save Hikari from a Penalty Game. Wasting no time, a battle broke out, during which Nat's Cyber Dragons were stolen, Ramesus's Winged Minions were destroyed, and Jay and Ashes were freed. Gathering the remaining opposition together, Ramesus took a moment to completely crush Allis's spirit before challenging CV to a winner-take-all duel. But as CV summoned his three spirit monsters to the field, Ramesus used their power, and that of the captured spirits, to create a vortex that threatened to send every soul on Earth to the Shadow Realm in thirty minutes!

* * *

"This is Parker Richards, reporting live from the roof of SLTV in Solitaire Valley. Only a few moments ago, as you can see behind me, a strange vortex began to form in the clouds over the city." The reporter swept his hand out, directing the cameraman to take a shot of the strange phenomenon.

Watching from half a continent away, Mikey scowled. "Ramesus... You really did it, didn't you?"

Doing his best to retain his professionalism, the reporter, obviously concerned, continued.

"The clouds themselves have been baffling meteorologists across the country. They've followed no known weather patterns or weather cycles."

Glancing at the television, the duelist formerly known as Dark Scythe sighed. He had a nagging feeling that he should have been paying attention, but he didn't know why.

"However, this station has been receding reports for the last 24 hours of monster sightings across the city. Initially believed to just be some kind of Duel Monsters tournament, public fears are beginning to cast doubts on that theory. While some believe the vortex is just another duel in progress, that does not seem to be the case."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Duke Devlin shoved hard, trying to pry Big Andy off of his leg. "I'm not gonna teach you how to use Gradius!"

"Oh come on! It's perfect for the video game segment of my deck!" BA held on, but, distracted by the news reports, let his grip slip. Duke, seizing the opportunity, pulled free.

"Kid, I don't CARE. I've got a business to run, so would you please just go away already?!"

BA didn't hear him. His eyes were now glued to the tv screen. "It's happening. Guys... Be careful."

"Not willing to take chances, the mayor has already declared a state of emergency, and is urging all residents to their designated safety shelters. By all accounts, the vortex is growing in speed, size, and power. It is lowering towards Solitaire Valley at an alarming rate. If it reaches the city... God help us all."

And behind Richards, the vortex continued to grow.

* * *

Watching from his office, Seto Kaiba scowled. Whatever was going on in Solitaire Valley was bad for business. Furthermore, Mokuba was bound to be stuck right in the middle of it.

And it wasn't just Mokuba, but Yugi and his friends. The Arcane Academy was there, and with Wheeler's daughter attending, his greatest rival wouldn't dare miss this.

He tapped a button on his phone. "Get the Blue-Eyes White Jet fueled immediately. I'm going on a little trip."

"Yes sir," said the voice of the hired peon at the other end. "Anything else?"

"If there was, I would have already told you." He cut the connection and watched the vortex for a moment.

"Hang on, Mokuba. I'm coming..."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 49: The Ticking Clock: Armageddon in Thirty Minutes!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

In the ruins of Arena 3, the duel that would determine the fate of the world was well underway.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 6900

Staring each other down, the two rivals each knew that no quarter could be asked, nor given. Each had an impressive arsenal of monsters on the field. Ramesus was flanked, not just by facedown cards, but by Ryu Kokki, Beiige, and the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World: 1600/1300

Blue-Eyes White Dragon: 3000/2500

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

But not to be outdone, CyberV was armed with Heart of the Underdog, which had allowed him an impressive showing. Currently, he was flanked by three monsters: Hyozanryu, Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior, and Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon.

Hyozanryu: 2100/2800

Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon: 2400/2100

"Summoning your three spirits was a foolish move," said Ramesus. "One I was counting on. Now in less than half an hour, this city's entire populace will be banished to the Shadow Realm, making me unstoppable. And once that occurs, the rest of the world will follow. Dueling you now is almost an afterthought. You can't stop me. You never could."

"You're wrong," said CyberV. "I WILL stop you. I don't have any other choice." He glanced at his three spirits. "You guys okay?"

"Just... peachy." Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior shook the cobwebs out of his mind. "That blast HURT, but we're with you."

"Great. Time to teach this creep a lesson. You ready?"

"Oh YEAH." The monster grasped his blade tightly.

"Glad to hear it." CV glared at Ramesus. "Since I've never used these guys in a duel before, you've got no idea what their special abilities are. Allow me to educate you. First, both Red-Eyes monsters are treated as both Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Rocket Warrior. That will be important later. But more importantly, when they're special summoned, each has a unique effect I can use just once. FIRST! Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon can deal 500 points in effect damage to you for every card removed from play!"

"But there aren't any," said Ramesus. "Your effect is wasted."

"WRONG!" said CV. "Yin-Yang Fusion removed both Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon from play! GO! NAIL RAMESUS WITH INFERNO ROCKET BLAST!" The rockets under RERD's wings launched, blazing towards Ramesus with blinding speed. Unable to counter, all the villain could do was brace himself as the two projectiles erupted on either side of him.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 5900

"Next, Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior's effect kicks in! Now every monster on your side of the field loses 1500 attack points until the end of this turn! GO WITH RED-EYES ROCKET SLASH!"

"ALL OVER IT!" The spirit launched forward in a blinding flash, slashing first at Beiige ("That's for Poison!") , then Ryu-Kokki ("You're uglier than I remember!"), and finally Blue-Eyes White Dragon ("I never did like you!").

Blue-Eyes White Dragon: 1500/2500

Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World: 100/1300

Ryu Kokki: 900/2000

Returning to CV's side of the field, the damage of the effect was obvious. Beiige staggered, barely able to stand. Painful slash marks marred both Ryu Kokki and Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"No way..." Mokuba was astonished. "They're so powerful. How'd he get those?! I've never heard of them!"

"Pegasus make them just for him," said Tea. "And it's a good thing, too. He's going to need all the power he can get to stop Ramesus!"

"Must be nice to have friends in high places," said Tapkar.

Looking down, Tea gave him a look. "You HAD to say that, didn't you?"

"NOW IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS, RAMESUS! ALL OUT ATTACK, GUYS!" Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior attacked first, flashing forward and slashing right through Beiige, who exploded.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 4500

Next was Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon, who fired a massive missile that shattered Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 3600

Finally, Hyozanryu let loose with it's diamond fire, shattering Ryu Kokki into bone fragments.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 2400

"And now I'll activate the final ability of Red-Ryes Rocket Dragon, and equip him to Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior!" RERW launched up and seated himself atop RERD's head. "That increases his power by 1500 attack points!"

Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior (equipped) : 3000/1300

"I'll end with two cards facedown," said CV as the holo cards materialized.

"OH YEAH!" Jay pumped his fist. "CV just schooled that creep!"

"I'm not so sure," said Nat. "It's going to be a long duel, and Ramesus can't be beaten that easily. I think this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

Jay sighed. "Killjoy."

Ramesus shrugged. "I'm glad to see you're taking this seriously. Perhaps this will be more diverting than I'd hoped." He smirked. "I see your new deck incorporates elements from all your part ones. Interesting. It's almost a strategy deck like Yugi Mutou's. That should make it quite the challenge." He drew.

"You have NO idea," said CV. "REVEAL TRAP CARD!" One of his face downs rose up. "I'm activating Cemetery Bomb! Now, for every card you have in the graveyard, you lose 100 life points, and I count 12!" The twelve cards in Ramesus's graveyard materialized around the villain and erupted.

CyberV: 4600

Ramesus: 1200

Unperturbed, Ramesus ignored the drop in life points.

"Okay," said Ashes. "Why isn't he worried? He's got a major disadvantage in life points."

Hikari's eyes widened. "Because he's already got Vampire's Kiss!" Her gaze fell to Ramesus's facedown card.

"You mean that freaky zombie trap we saw back in Domino?!" Tristan couldn't believe it. "Oh, this just keeps getting better!"

"If that's the case," said Yugi, "then getting his life points to zero is the LEAST of our young friend's concerns."

"It's my move now," said Ramesus as he glanced at his hand. "And I believe I'll play the spell Trade-In." The spell rose up. "Now I can send a high level monster to the grave in exchange for two cards from my deck!" He discarded another Blue-Eyes White Dragon and drew twice. "And since I have no monsters on the field, I think it's time for a bit of irony... I SPECIAL SUMMON CYBER DRAGON TO THE FIELD!" He placed the card on the field, and Cyber Dragon materialized.

"You lousy..." Nat clenched her fists.

Cyber Dragon: 2100/1600

"We'll get it back," said Joey. "Count on it."

"And just for fun, I play my Grave Fusion spell card!" He held up the card. "Now I can fuse monsters in my graveyard together... like my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons! COME FORTH BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON!" From the grave, three very dead Blue-Eyes rose up and into the sky, where they swirled together to create Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: 4500/3800

Roaring, the beast glared at CV's monsters.

"Well," said CV. "This could be a problem."

"And now for that irony I promised," said Ramesus. "One spirit monster destroys another! Cyber Dragon! Attack Hyozanryu with Strident Blast!" The enslaved Cyber Dragon let loose with an electrical blast from it's mouth. Instinctively, Hyozanryu fired back with it's diamond fire. The two blasts managed to miss one another and strike their targets.

"HYOZANRYU!" CV could do nothing as his monster erupted. On Ramesus's side, Cyber Dragon blew up as well. Now immaterial, Hyozanryu reappeared next to CV. "Are you hurt?"

Hyozanryu shook it's head.

"Okay then. You did good, buddy."

"Oh, what a pity. Your spirit survived after all. And since their attacks were the same, you didn't lose any life points. Ah well. I'll just have to try again! BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON! DESTROY RED-EYES ROCKET WARRIOR!" Ramesus grinned at the thought of the carnage to come.

"Oh, this is bad..." Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior braced himself as Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon let loose with a spectacularly strong blast of energy. In response, Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon shifted it's body, turning away from the attack and taking the blast itself. Thrown from his partner, Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior could only watch in horror as his fellow spirit exploded into dust. "NO!"

CyberV: 2100

Ramesus: 1200

Red-Eyes Black Dragon rematerialized on CV's right side, immaterial. Still smouldering, the spirit staggered but refused to fall.

Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"YOU JERK! YOU COULDA DESTROYED HIM!" The fused spirit glared at Ramesus. "NOW it's personal!"

"Well, that IS the general idea, fool." Ramesus shrugged dismissively.

"Oh no..." Ashes felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Now Ramesus has the upper hand again! How can any Rocket Warrior beat that thing?"

"I don't know," said Ami. "But Aaron can find a way... right?"

"He doesn't have a choice," said Rex. "...CV is Aaron, right?" Both girls sweatdropped.

"Now I'll place one card facedown and end my turn," said Ramesus. A holocard appeared behind Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. "Your move."

"RIGHT!" CV drew. "And now I reveal my trap card! Legacy of Yata-Garatsu!" The trap rose up. "Now I get to draw one more card!" He reached for his deck.

'Whatever I draw, it has to be something good, or this duel's over! Slifer, now would be a really good time to try out that new monster... Deck, don't let me down!' He drew forcefully and looked at his prize.

"YES!" He grinned.

"Draw a good one?" asked Ramesus. "I certainly hope so, because I'm getting bored again."

"Oh, it's good all right," said CV. "But first things first. You remember how I said that Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior could be treated as Rocket Warrior when on the field? Well here's where that becomes your worst nightmare!" CyberV held up a spell card. "I PLAY ROCKET WARRIOR DEFENSE SQUADRON!" He slammed the card onto his disk, and three more Rocket Warriors materialized.

"RED!"

"BLUE!"

"YELLOW!"

"ROCKET WARRIOR DEFENSE SQUADRON!" The three posed, ready for battle.

Rocket Warrior Token x3: 1500/1300

Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior sweatdropped. "I really wish you guys would stop that..."

"Like the new look," said Red. "You keeping it?"

"Nah. Smells like burnt leather." He glanced at the glaring Red-Eyes. "Errr... Not that there's anything WRONG with that..."

"FOCUS ALREADY!" shouted Hikari.

"If we survive this," said Mouse, "remind me to hurt him."

"Done," responded LazyMan, rubbing his temples.

"Here we go," said CV. "Now I activate the special ability of the Defense Squadron! By sacrificing all three I can reduce the attack of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon by 1500 points! SQUADRON! FORMATION DELTA! SELF SACRIFICIAL STRIKE!"

"RIGHT!" shouted all three tokens before launching at the Ultimate Dragon. One by one, they transformed to rocket mode and slammed into Ultimate Dragon, erupting on contact and forcing the Dragon back.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: 3000/3800

"Okay, so he's weaker. NOW what?" Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior glanced at CV.

"Now," said CV. "I need to remove you from the field. Do you trust me?"

"Always!" Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior flashed CV a thumbs up. "Do what you've gotta do!"

CV nodded. "Now I sacrifice my Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior to summon a new creature to the field!" The fused Rocket Warrior faded away, the normal version reappearing at CV's side. "Prepare yourself, Ramesus, to face the deciple of Slifer the Sky Dragon! COME FORTH WHITE-HORNED DRAGON!" The side of the arena erupted as a powerful dragon entered the fray. Strongly resembling the legendary God Card, it roared, reveling in it's newfound freedom.

White-Horned Dragon: 2200/1400

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" asked Ramesus. "It's better than that pathetic Rocket Warrior, but it still pales against the Ultimate Dragon!"

"But that will change," said CV. "I now activate his special ability! I now remove five of the spell cards in your graveyard from play!" Grave Fusion, Graceful Charity, Fissure, Trade-In, and Dark World Corridor ejected from Ramesus's graveyard and blew away. "And for each card removed, White-Horned Dragon gains 300 attack points, for a grand total of 3700!"

White-Horned Dragon: 3700/1400

"And that's not all," said CV. "Now I remove both Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon from play!" Both cards ejected from CV's graveyard. He quickly pocketed them. "Now I can special summon Yin-Yang Dragon from my fusion deck!" The two monsters materialized and flew into a massive yin-yang circle that appeared overhead, coming out as twin Chinese dragons.

Yin-Yang Dragon: 0/0

"This is it, Ramesus! WHITE-HORNED DRAGON! DESTROY ULTIMATE DRAGON WITH SLIFER'S FIRE!" White-Horned Dragon's horn glowed with power before it opened it's mouth wide to release a torrent of white-hot flames that struck Ultimate Dragon, melting it to slag.

CyberV: 2100

Ramesus: 500

"And now I'll activate Yin-Yang Dragon's special ability, and remove one card from play from the top of my deck to give him 500 attack and defense points!" CV removed the card and pocketed it.

Yin-Yang Dragon: 500/500

"NOW ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY, AND END THIS NIGHTMARE!" Yin-Yang Dragon flew at Ramesus, eager to help save the world.

"Bad move," said Ramesus. "REVEAL TRAP CARDS! CALL OF THE HAUNTED AND VAMPIRE'S KISS!" Two traps rose up. "First, Call of the Haunted allows me to revive Ryu Kokki from the graveyard!" Ryu Kokki emerged from the ground, hale and hearty.

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

Yin-Yang Dragon, already committed to the attack, could not stop. It slammed into Ryu Kokki full force. The zombie creature grinned maliciously.

CyberV: 200

Ramesus: 500

"And Vampire's Kiss's effects now activate. First, as long as I have a zombie on the field, it cannot be destroyed. Second, as long as it is on the field, I cannot lose the duel. THIRD..." Yin-Yang Dragon writhed in Ryu Kokki's grasp as, slowly, it's flesh decayed. As Ryu Kokki let go, the now zombified dragon flew to Ramesus's side. "When a zombie destroys one of your monsters, it becomes a zombie on MY side of the field!"

Zombie Yin-Yang Dragon: 0/0

"NO!" CV couldn't believe it. "YIN-YANG DRAGON!" His fusion monster vanished from his disk and rematerialized on Ramesus's disk.

"This is a grave turn of events," said Yugi.

"Whatcha mean, Yugi?" asked Joey. "It's got no attack points."

"Not yet," said Hikari. "But it will. All Ramesus has to do is remove enough cards from his deck from play, and Yin-Yang Dragon would become unstoppable for one turn. CyberV can't even attack it now because the second he does, Ramesus will activate Yin-Yang Dragon's ability and wipe out his life points!"

"A difficult challenge indeed," muttered Ikke. "This will be his greatest test yet as the Warrior."

Watching through tear-stung eyes, Allis wished she could just shrink into nothingness. "It... It's all my fault. He's going to lose and it's all my fault..."

"Well, Warrior? Surprised? You've lost now. NOTHING can save you from your own most powerful creature!"

"Not yet, but I can still buy myself some time," said CV. "I PLAY SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!" Energy blades appeared around Ramesus as his two zombies. "Now I've got three turns to find a way to stop you!"

"You'll need far more than that," said Ramesus as he drew. "Since I can't attack you, I'll just place one card facedown and await your so-called miracle." One card appeared on Ramesus's side of the field.

CyberV drew. "I play Pot of Greed!" he said as the card materialized on the field. "Now I get to draw two new cards!" He did so. "And now I play the spell Painful Choice!" The card rose up, and five cards materialized from CyberV's deck and hovered over his head. "Now you choose one of the following cards, and it gets added to my hand. The others go to the graveyard." The cards above his head were Kiryu, Pitch-Dark Dragon, W-Wing Catapult, Z-Metal Tank, and Y-Dragon Head.

"I choose the weakest: Pitch-Dark Dragon." The holographic version shrunk down and lowered into CV's hand as the others shattered.

"Fine," said CV. "Now I summon V-Tiger Jet in defense mode!" Crouching, the mechanical tiger appeared.

V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800

"That's all for now."

"At least he didn't summon it like he did the last time," said Nat, sighing heavily.

"Last time?" asked Hikari.

"He did a Thunderzord thing with the Vehicles," explained Ami.

Hikari blinked. "Wow, suddenly being slowly tortured into oblivion by Ramesus doesn't sound half bad..."

"What a boring turn," said Ramesus. He drew. "I suppose I should spice things up a bit. I play Dark World Draw!" The card rose up. "Now I remove Beiige from play, and we each get to draw until we have six cards." Each duelist did so.

"Why help me?" asked CyberV.

"Consider it a final gift from an old friend. One last taste of hope before I dash your chances on the rocks!"

"Your mistake!" CV drew. "First, I play the spell card Summoner's Art! This lets me add one level 5 or higher normal monster to my hand!" The spell rose up, and Meteor Dragon ejected from CV's deck. He snapped it up quickly.

"Next I summon Pitch-Dark Dragon in defense mode!" The black dragon materialized, flapping it's wings.

Pitch-Dark Dragon: 900/600

CyberV glanced at Vampire's Kiss and at White-Horned Dragon.

'Okay, since sheer power is useless now, attacking isn't the answer. But there might be a way to turn the power of Vampire's Kiss to my advantage... Slifer, I hope I'm right about this...'

"Okay, here we go," said CV. "I play the spell card Stamping Destruction!" The spell card rose up. "Now, since I have dragon monsters on my side of the field, I can select one spell or trap on your side of the field and destroy it! After that, you take 500 points of damage!"

Ramesus smirked, but said nothing.

"SO NOW, SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR FACEDOWN CARD!" Pitch-Dark Dragon roared and flew into the air, coming down on Ramesus's facedown card. Sakuretsu Armor revealed itself and shattered.

CyberV: 200

Ramesus: 0

Unbothered by the loss, Ramesus stood strong. "Fool! Now that my life points are at zero, the final effect of Vampire's Kiss activates! Now, for every monster I have on the field, you lose one of your own!" Vampire's Kiss glowed as wraiths flew out of it and surrounded both V-Tiger Jet and White-Horned Dragon. Both monsters shattered.

"This is really bad," said Tristan. "He just lost his trump card!"

"It does seem that way..." muttered Yugi.

"Oh come ON!" shouted Jay. "You can take this creep!"

"WE'RE WITH YOU!" shouted Ashes.

"Hang in there," said Nat. "We're in this together!"

Hikari shrugged. "JUST TRY NOT TO SCREW UP ANYMORE!"

Jay sweatdropped. "Yeah. Real helpful."

"Hey, I call it as I see it."

"Of course," said Ramesus, "since Vampire's Kiss is still in effect, I can't lose the duel. But YOU can.

"That remains to be seen," said CV. "Now I'll play Graceful Charity!" The card rose up. "Now I can draw three cards, as long as I discard two to the graveyard!" He did so, discarding X-Head Cannon and Meteor Dragon.

"Next, I'll play the spell Double Summon!" The spell card rose up. "Now I get to normal summon one more monster this turn, and I choose this one!" A monster card appeared, facedown.

"Finally, I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A holocard appeared behind Pitch-Dark Dragon.

"Then it's my move," said Ramesus. He drew. "I summon Hydrogeddon in attack mode!" A dinosaur made of water appeared on the field.

Hydrogeddon: 1600/1000

"And simply because I'm curious, I play Dark-Piercing Light!" The spell rose up. "Now all facedown monsters on the field are revealed, and their effects activate." A bright light shone from the card onto CyberV's new monster, and slowly, a kneeling Magician of Faith emerged.

Magician of Faith: 300/400

"Thanks," said CV. "Now her special ability activates, letting me take one spell card from my grave and add it to my hand!" His graveyard ejected a card, and he took it deftly.

"I'm not exactly concerned," said Ramesus. "One card facedown, to help seal your fate." A holocard appeared. "That will do for now." As he said that, the Swords of Revealing Light shattered.

"And now, let's take a look at things, shall we?" Ramesus chuckled. "Your most powerful monsters either lie dead or on my side of the field. You can't risk attacking me without losing, and all I need to do is get in one glancing blow to finish you off. What you have on the field are a pair of weaklings that couldn't stop anything in my deck and..." He checked his watch. "In five minutes, the vortex will reach the city."

He grinned. "It's OVER, Warrior! You've lost!"

"I haven't lost yet," said CyberV. "And this duel's far from over."

"Yeah? Well you'd better have one HECK of a plan!" Rocket Warrior's voice was filled with concern. He knew that, high above, his fellow spirits were fueling the vortex against their will.

CyberV glanced at Poison. The wound was larger now. He wasn't sure Poison could last the five minutes.

All around him, the captured students and teachers... both his friends and enemies, were helpless to do anything. It was all on him now. Win or lose, the fate of the Earth hung in the balance.

"Enough stalling," said Ramesus. "Admit defeat and accept your fate! I've won!" He laughed maniacally, as was his wont. "MAKE YOUR FINAL MOVE, WARRIOR! FOR AFTERWARDS, I SHALL RULE THIS WORLD FOR ALL ETERNITY!"

And outside, the vortex continued to grow larger and faster... An unstoppable juggernaut that would consume the entire world...

TO BE CONCLUDED...

Next Time: Destiny Met! The Fate of the Warrior!


	50. Destiny Met! The Fate of the Warrior!

This chapter is dedicated to Fooshoo, my tabby companion from June 1992 through April 2008. He was loved, and will be missed terribly.

Fooshoo: January 1991-April 2008

* * *

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The duel between CyberV and Ramesus finally got underway, and quickly turned ugly. Ramesus, using the power of the captured duel spirits, created a vortex over Solitaire Valley that threatened to annihilate the city in 30 minutes and grant him unlimited power. Then, to make things even worse, Ramesus used Vampire's Kiss and stole control of CV's Yin-Yang Dragon, his most powerful card. With the clock ticking, the Warrior was rapidly running out of time... and so was the entire world!

* * *

Watching the news from his office, Pegasus narrowed his remaining eye.

"It seems the situation at the Arcane Academy's grown more serious than I'd imagined." It had only been a few scant months ago that Yugi Mutou and his friends had come to him with a fantastic story of a rising evil in Solitaire Valley and the duelist chosen to battle it. At the time, he'd felt that a few new cards would be enough to help this so-called "Warrior" turn the tide.

Now, watching the drama unfold, he prayed he wasn't wrong.

"Good luck... Warrior. I have a feeling you'll need it."

* * *

Kaiba growled softly as the Blue-Eyes White Jet blazed through the sky, headed towards Solitaire Valley. He'd never arrive in time, and he knew it.

"Just hang on, Mokuba. I'm on my way."

His memory flashed back several months prior, to the holidays, when that fool Yugi and his god-daughter had described a "rising evil"... and told him of the fool that had to fight it. A fool that ludicrously called himself CyberV, who disgraced some of his own best cards like they were playthings.

It made Kaiba's blood boil just to think of that prattling fool. One phone conversation had been more than enough to convince him that this "Warrior" was an idiot that made Wheeler look like a genius. Worse, his own brother BELIEVED in him!

It galled Kaiba to think that there was any chance that they could be right. Thinking of the vortex, however, he couldn't deny that if something wasn't done quickly, Yugi's predictions of darkness would certainly come true...

* * *

In arena 3, Ramesus laughed maniacally.

"Five minutes, Warrior. Five minutes until I rule this world!"

CyberV clenched his fists. The next few turns would decide the fate of the world.

"You'd need a miracle to win now!"

CV silently agreed. He reached for his deck "SO LET'S MAKE A MIRACLE!" He drew.

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Battle for the Balance

Episode 50: Destiny Met! The Fate of the Warrior!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

As he drew his card, CyberV could tell that, even without the time limit, that things were grim. Not that the life point counter was any indication.

CyberV: 200

Ramesus: 0

Normally, the duel would be over, but that wasn't the case now. Not as long as Ramesus had Vampire's Kiss on the field, a card with the power to keep him from losing as long as he had zombies on the field. And zombies wasn't something he was short on.

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

Zombie Yin-Yang Dragon: 0/0

He also had Hydrogeddon, a dinosaur card CV knew to be trouble.

Hydrogeddon: 1600/1000

Meanwhile, CV knew that he himself was in a tight spot. Other than his facedown card and Heart of the Underdog, his only defenses were two weak monsters and the card Magician of Faith had just returned to him.

Magician of Faith: 300/400

Pitch-Dark Dragon: 900/400

"I've got your most powerful monster on my side now," said Ramesus, affectionately petting the zombified Yin-Yang Dragon. "There's no way you can attack me without losing. All I have to do now is sit back and wait for the time to run out."

"I wouldn't relax if I were you, Ramesus," said CV. "Because Magician of Faith gave me back my Pot of Greed!" He held it up. "So now I can draw two new cards!" CV did so quickly. "And I'll play Burial From a Different Dimension!" The spell card rose up. "This lets me return to the graveyard up to three removed from play monsters, and I choose Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon, Rocket Warrior, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" He took the removed cards and returned them to his graveyard.

"A pittling trifle and a worthless card." Ramesus shrugged it off. "You don't have anything that can stop me now."

"You're right... I didn't... Not until I gained access to Greekman's deck!" CV smirked. "See, when I beat him, I got his deck, and it contained a few nasty surprises... LIKE THIS!" He tapped his facedown card. "REVEAL SKULL LAIR!" The trap rose up. "Now, I select one monster on your side of the field, and remove from play monster cards from my graveyard equal to the number of stars on the monster selected." CV grinned. "And I choose Yin-Yang Dragon!" Winged Kuriboh, Bladedge, Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior, Gyaku-Gire Panda, Sacred Crane, Injection Fairy Lily, Rocket Warrior, and the five Vehicles ejected from CV's graveyard before being pocketed. "And now that I've done that," said CV. "YIN-YANG DRAGON'S TOAST!" A bestial fiend emerged behind Yin-Yang Dragon and grabbed both it's heads.

"You'd destroy your own monster?!" Ramesus was shocked. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good, and it's better off in my graveyard than in your hands," said CV. "SKULL LAIR, DO IT!"

Holding Yin-Yang Dragon tightly, the Skull Lair's avatar began to sink downwards into the ground, dragging the two halves of the zombified dragon with it. In seconds, both were gone, and CV's Skull Lair vanished off the field.

"Well, that's actually good news, right?" asked Ashes. "With Yin-Yang Dragon gone, he can attack again."

"Not really," said Jay. "His monsters are too weak. Unless he sacrifices them for something spectacularly strong, Ryu Kokki's still on the field and that means Ramesus can't lose the duel."

"If only there was a way to destroy or negate that Vampire's Kiss trap card..." Nat scowled. "He needs Jinzo."

"We can't even be sure Jinzo could negate that thing," said Hikari. "And the same goes for Raigeki. Ramesus probably has something ready to nail either one if the dork uses them."

"Well then," asked Mouse, "any ideas?"

"Only one," said LazyMan. "Keep watching and pray."

Ikke raised an eyebrow. "A masterful strategy," he said dryly.

"Okay then," said CV. "Two cards facedown, and that'll do for now." Two holocards appeared.

"Then I suppose it's my turn," said Ramesus as he drew. "You know, one of the few perks of having power? Finding new ways to exploit it... like THIS!" He held up a card. On it, shockingly, was a picture of Ramesus himself. "I implanted a small piece of my dark powers into a blank card and came up with this beauty. Do you like it? I call it Ramesus, Leader of Evil! And it will spell your doom!"

"He made himself into a card?" Rocket Warrior sweatdropped. "What an ego..."

"And it gets better," said Ramesus. "Because now I play Polymerization to combine my Ramesus, Leader of Evil with Ryu Kokki!" Ramesus stepped forward onto the field of battle and stood next to Ryu Kokki. Ominously, both began to glow... and grow. As they merged together, their new form smashed through what remained of the arena's ceiling. The transformation complete, the new fusion monster glared down at the Warrior. It still resembled Ryu Kokki, but now it was more like a man in demonic skull armor, laughing as the vortex served as a terrifying backdrop.

"I AM FINALLY COMPLETE!" roared the Ramesus/Ryu Kokki hybrid. "AND I SHALL RULE OVER ALL! I AM NOW DEMON GOD RAMESUS, RULER OF DARKNESS!"

Demon God Ramesus, Ruler of Darkness: infinite/infinite

"Infinite attack points?" Rex gaped at the gigantic monster. "NOT good."

"oh no..." Ami shrunk back, horrified. "It can't be..."

"And it gets better," said the monestrous Ramesus. "You're almost out of time, and I'm about to wipe out your remaining defenders! Hydrogeddon! Destroy his Pitch-Dark Dragon!" The watery dinosaur moved forward and rammed into CV's dragon, shattering it.

"And now his special ability activates, giving me another Hydrogeddon!" A second Hydrogeddon materialized on the field.

Hydrogeddon 2: 1600/1000

"Now go and destroy his Magician of Faith!" The new Hydrogeddon charged, trampling the kneeling sorceress and shattering her into dust.

"This is bad, Yug'." Joey glared. "He's wide open!"

"It's not over until the last card is played," said Yugi. "Look into our young friend's eyes." Those assembled did. Instead of seeing fear or resignation, all they saw was razor-sharp focus.

"He's not even sweating," said Nat, astonished.

"I don't get it. It's over. We're all toast and he's not even worried?" Hikari was completely lost.

"It's simple," said Yugi. "He has a plan."

"Since I only managed to collect two Hydrogeddon," said Ramesus, "I can't summon another from my deck. So instead, I'll finish you off by attacking directly myself!" He stepped forward, towering over CV. He raised his foot. "And I can't think of any fate more fitting than being crushed under my heel!" He thrust his foot down.

"REVEAL TRAP CARD!" shouted CV as the offending appendage came into range. "WABOKU!" As his card rose up, three sages materialized. Raising their wands, they created a shield to block Ramesus. As his foot struck it, Ramesus growled.

"You only delay the inevitable!" he shouted, furious that he could not get through.

"Sorry, but the only thing inevitable here in Waboku's effect," said CV as a retort. "Now I can't take any battle damage from your direct attack."

Thwarted, Ramesus backed off.

"So you've saved yourself for a single turn. I suggest you make the most of it. Only a minute remains before my vortex strikes that pathetic city and I become all-powerful!"

"One minute, huh? MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME!" CV drew. "Ramesus, you should have known better than to turn yourself into a giant monster... When the villain does that, the brave sentai hero ALWAYS takes the bad guy down!" He tapped his facedown card. "REVEAL RETURN FROM THE DIFFERENT DIMENSION!" The card rose up and glowed.

CyberV: 100

Ramesus: 0

Hikari sweatdropped. "Okay, now my head hurts."

"When I played Skull Lair, five of the cards I removed from play were my Vehicles. So now the time has come... I NEED COMBAT VEHICLE POWER NOW!" He thrust his hand forward and the five cards flew out into the sky.

In the distance, the ground cracked open, revealing a fiery fault line. Slowly, X-Head Cannon rose up, ready to fight. A mile away, at an ice skating rink, W-Wing Catapult broke through the ice and crashed through the wall, ready to help. At the beach, Z-Metal Tank burst up from under the sand before rolling forward to join the battle. In the forest, V-Tiger Jet ran towards it's master, leaping into the fray. The nearest mountain range burst open, revealing Y-Dragon head as it flew out of volcanic lava. Uniting as a group, the five charged towards the arena. Ramesus turned, amused by the oncoming mecha.

"You wanted a miracle, Ramesus? HERE'S my miracle! You've threatened this world and my friends for far too long, so now you're gonna pay! COMBINE!" V-Tiger Jet transformed to jet mode as W-Wing Catapult split in two. V-Tiger Jet quickly connected to the two components.

VW-Tiger Catapult: 2000/2100

At the same time, Y-Dragon head released it's wings and opened a port on it's back that X-Head Cannon lowered into. Sealed into place, the united monster landed atop Z-Metal Tank.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon: 2800/2600

"There's no time to waste! With the world at stake, there's not a second to spare! SWITCH TO BATTLE MODE NOW!"

"Oh brother..." Jay blinked. "His megazord sequence just got initiated."

Mouse quickly smacked Jay upside the head.

"OW!"

"Don't encourage him."

In response to CV's command, VW-Tiger Catapult split into three components while XYZ-Dragon Cannon blasted into the air, releasing it's treads before grabbing the ends with it's hands. The two components of W-Wing Catapult attached to the underside of Z-Metal Tank as V-Tiger Jet and the wings of Y-Dragon Head docked onto the back of the massive machine. As the head of V-Tiger Jet opened wide to reveal a new face, the composite mecha posed triumphantly.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800

"Amusing, but far from enough," said Ramesus. "Your tin can doesn't stand a chance."

"It won't be alone," said CV. He placed another card behind VWXYZ on his disk. "HEAVY MECH SUPPORT PLATFORM... MOBILIZE!" In response, the clouds blanketing the sky began to part, revealing the sun. Flying out of the sun was a sixth mecha, flying towards the scene at hypersonic speeds.

Heavy Mech Support Platform: 500/500

For a moment, it reflected in the eye of VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, before the mighty mecha leapt into the air, taking flight. In response, Heavy Mech Support Platform split into two, forming cannons that attached to both hips.

"BUSTER FORMATION... COMPLETE!"

VWXYZ-Buster Formation: 3500/3300

"A trifle," said Ramesus. "It doesn't matter how strong you make your little toy... I surpass it now! And to prove it, I'll end this duel right now by activating my new body's special ability... and declaring an attack on YOUR turn!" Demon God Ramesus roared as he charged towards VWXYZ-Buster Formation.

"WHAT?!" Joey couldn't believe it. "THAT'S CHEATING!"

"It doesn't matter," said Nat. "He won't let Ramesus win."

CyberV held up two cards. "Your last move, Ramesus, and it was a bad one. I play both Dragon Mirror and Polymerization!" The two cards rose up onto the field. CV thrust his right hand into the air. "I CALL ON FIVE-HEADED DRAGON AND THE POWER OF OMNIS!" Dragon Mirror materialized and reflected Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Hyozanryu, Yin-Yang Dragon, Pitch-Dark Dragon, and White-Horned Dragon. The mirror erupted as Five-Headed Dragon burst onto the scene from within.

Five-Headed Dragon: 5000/5000

Immediately, Five-Headed Dragon went down on all fours as it positioned it's five heads strategically. VWXYZ-Buster Formation leapt up and came down, taking a seated position just behind the center head.

"Meet my God Card's Ultrazord formation, Ramesus: DRAGON RIDER OMNIS!" The new fusion monster charged up it's heads and weaponry.

Dragon Rider Omnis: 5000/5000

"TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE!" Ramesus moved in for the final strike.

"Yes, you ARE too late," said CV. "Because now that he's summoned to the field, Omnis can activate this incarnation's special ability! By removing a dragon from play..." Kiryu ejected from his graveyard. "HE CAN DESTROY EVERY MONSTER ON YOUR SIDE OF THE FIELD!" CV glared at the charging monster duelist. "You're one, Ramesus. DRAGON RIDER OMNIS! SUPREME FIREPOWER!"

In response, all five of the Dragon's heads let loose with their attacks as Buster Formation fired every weapon on it's body. The combined attacks quickly annihilated both Hydrogeddon and struck Ramesus head on, stopping him in his tracks. Staggered, he stumbled backwards.

"No... NO! YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME NOW! I WAS SO CLOSE! So... Close..." He fell forwards and erupted.

CyberV: 100

Ramesus: 0

With the field cleared of zombies, Vampire's Kiss shattered and Dragon Rider Omnis faded away.

"HE DID IT!" Hikari pumped her fist into the air.

"WOOHOO!" Ashes hopped onto Jay's back, cheering her heart out. Jay, for his part, struggled not to fall backwards and crush her.

"I KNEW HE COULD DO IT!"

"Nice," said Nat, simply, crossing her arms and enjoying the view as the dust settled, revealing a weakened Ramesus, still on his feet and very shaky.

"WARRIOR!" He staggered forward. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!"

CyberV watched without saying anything. Instead, he simply unsheathed the Scepter and twirled it until it was point out.

"I'LL STILL RULE THIS WORLD! MARK MY WORDS!"

"That's enough!" he snapped suddenly, stopping Ramesus in his tracks. "I can think of five reasons right here why you've lost this duel and this war." He swept his hand out to his four friends. "And they're standing right here."

"Oh thank god," muttered Ikke. "He didn't do another of those insipid countoffs."

"...Wait," said LazyMan. "Does that mean we weren't counted?" In response, Mouse sweatdropped.

"Did you guys even DO anything to help?" asked Rex. "I mean, at least Ami helped fight Ryu Kokki..."

Both Lazyman and Mouse thought a LITTLE too hard for a response.

"Well, I..."

"Errr..."

Both hung their heads, shamed.

"I'm so glad I'm graduating from this idiocy..." muttered Ikke as he massaged the bridge of his nose.

"RAMESUS!" said CV sharply. "You've ruined too many lives to go unpunished... Your evil ends HERE! PENALTY GAME!" CV thrust the Scepter into the air and began rotating his arm in a wide circle, creating a Yin-Yang symbol around himself.

"KARMIC!" The symbol began to spin, becoming a blur. "BALANCING!" He readied his arms, tensing his entire body. "SLASH!" He swung with all his strength, managing to slice right between the symbol's for Yin and Yang. The slash's energy struck Ramesus head on. Stunned, Ramesus fell to his knees as darkness began to seep from him in waves.

"I return to you the conscience and heart you lost the day you took the Scepter. I return the light to the darkness of your soul. Once more, you are balanced with both essences. Live with the knowledge of all you have done... If you can."

* * *

In the vortex, the orbs holding the duel spirits shattered.

"WE'RE FREE!" exclaimed Flame Sprite. She felt an uncomfortable sensation in her throat. "And I think I'm gonna be sick..."

"If you must," said Dark Magician. "Aim AWAY from me."

* * *

Back in the ruins of Arena 3, Hikari watched as Poison's wound shrunk and faded away, as though it had never existed. As it vanished, the crosses holding the students began to fade away as well.

"I CAN MOVE AGAIN!"

"HE DID IT! HE SAVED US!"

"Ummm... We're all kinda hanging up in midair..." There was a tremendous thud as the students and staff came crashing down, fortunately on the relatively soft seats.

"Ouch..." Jay winced. "THAT'S gonna leave a mark."

"It did..." Tapkar sighed.

Allis watched as the action figure that had been StrongMan glowed and grew, once more becoming human.

"...I have a feeling I missed something important." said the very confused duelist.

"We'll fill you in," said Magyk as he flexed his arms, trying to get the blood flowing to his sleeping limbs.

"But before that," said Void, "the line to use the untrashed bathrooms is gonna be a mile long, so we should probably go make a break for it."

"...Good point," said a very uncomfortable looking McMike. "Some of these guys've been hanging for TWO DAYS and... DIBS ON THE SHOWERS!" He bolted for the exit.

"That is NOT cool, man!" said Void as he ran after his friend.

As he opened his eyes, Poison thought he was being greeted by an angel. As he started to sit up, he realized it was Hikari, kneeling down next to him.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I am now," he said smoothly, meaning it. "Last thing I remember was getting between you and Ramesus... Since I'm not having my soul shredded, I'm gonna guess things are going all right."

Hikari nodded. "Yeah. Things are looking up." She placed her hand over his. "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime."

Watching from a respectful distance, the Brew Sisters observed mournfully.

"...Technically, I helped," said Bubble. "Why don't I get to be by his side?!" She anime-cried as both her sisters punched her in the head simultaneously.

"YUGI!" Tea, now free ran into her husband's arms and gave him the biggest hug imaginable.

"Welcome back," said Yugi, trying his best to hide his tears of joy.

"All's well that ends well, I guess," said Tristan. He rubbed the back of his head. "Now someone wanna tell me again how we keep getting into these messes?"

"I'm still tryin' ta figure out how all that happened in a single minute..." Joey scratched his head, confused.

His shadow power dissipating, the cards magically stolen by Ramesus faded away, returning to the decks of their proper owners. At the same time, the cards of the stolen Duel Spirits lowered down through the open roof. Each duelist happily grasped their most treasured card.

"It looks like it's all over," observed Nat as she walked up to CV. Cyber Dragon appeared, coiling around her.

"No... NO!" Ramesus screamed. "What... What did I do?!" He looked up at CV and Nat. "I... I'm so sorry..." Tears welled up in his eyes.

"You really think that's gonna make everything okay?" asked Jay.

"I think we should see some groveling," added Ashes. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "What? It's been a long couple of days. YOU try dueling zombies."

"I'll pass," said Hikari as she and Poison walked up to join the group. "Sounds incredibly stupid."

"NO!" shouted Ramesus. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

CV narrowed his eyes. "Then you'd better explain it fast."

"THE VORTEX! I WAS LYING ABOUT THE VORTEX! I said you had half an hour to stop it, but I wasn't telling you the truth! NOTHING can stop the vortex now that it's started! The only difference now is that I can't control it anymore! It can't swallow the planet, but it's still going to destroy the entire city!"

Their eyes widened with the horror of that revelation.

"Oh no..."

"It can't be!"

"You've gotta be kidding!"

"So much for this being easy..."

"God, I picked the WRONG time to become a full on good guy..."

"THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" said CV. "ROCKET WARRIOR!"

"ON IT!" The spirit reappeared and grabbed CV around his waist before blasting off.

"Woah..." Forest and Mech watched, astonished, as CV was flown through the ruins of the arena's roof to the outside.

Once clear of the rubble, Red-Eyes and Hyozanryu appeared as well. CV watched as the vortex lowered towards the city. Now, without anyone controlling it, it was becoming dangerously unstable.

"Oh, THAT'S not good." Rocket Warrior readied himself. "Just give the word."

"You can't do it," said CV. "Even the three of you together wouldn't have enough power to stop that vortex."

"So what DO we do? Watch the city crumble?!"

"No," said CV as he held up his deck. "We call for reinforcements." Focusing all his energy into the Scepter, he prayed his idea would work. "I CALL ON THE FULL POWER OF THE WARRIOR OF THE BALANCE! COME FORTH, MY MONSTERS! YOU'RE NEEDED TO SAVE THIS CITY!"

The Scepter began to glow as brightly as the sun. At the same time, his deck began to glow as well. Suddenly, every monster card shot out into the sky... And all at once, they materialized, creatures of every imaginable size and strength.

Rocket Warrior hovered in midair, flanked by the Defense Squadron, Rocket Warrior LV10, and Red-Eyes Rocket Warrior.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon flapped his wings as he led Red-Eyes Black Chick, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, Black Skull Dragon, and Red-Eyes Rocket Dragon into battle.

Hyozanryu roared a battle cry as Gilford the Lightning, Jinzo, Mobius the Frost Monarch and Lava Golem joined him.

They were ALL there. Kuriboh, Winged Kuriboh, and Winged Kuriboh LV10, cooing bravely. The Hero Kids ready to fight despite the odds. Patrician of Darkness, glaring balefully at the oncoming disaster. King of the Swamp, Double Coston, Cyber Jar, Sacred Crane, Dark Blade... All charging into the fight.

"Go." Said CV.

The Paladin of Black Dragon ordered the troops forward. As lightning struck, Summoned Skull redirected the energy into the vortex. Shining Abyss fired both darkness and light at the vortex while Kiryu and Pitch-Dark Dragon blew flames at it. Dark Blade quickly mounted Pitch-Dark Dragon in midair to continue the battle as the Dragon Knight.

Wildheart and Bladedge charged the vortex, slashing at it together before merging into Wildedge and launching his scimitar attack at it. When that failed, Meteor Dragon simply crashed into it.

On the ground, debris being sucked up and spat out by the vortex was hurtled towards police officers helping with the city evacuation. The brave men braced themselves, but they needn't have bothered. Before it could strike them, both the Magician of Faith and the Soul of Purity and Light appeared and raised their hands, forming a barrier that shielded them from harm.

Elsewhere in the city, a car hurtled towards a child, thrown by the strong winds. Snipe Hunter appeared and took it out with a single shot before the Lord of Dragons grabbed the child and took her to safety.

Lightning struck again, and the Luster Dragons used their impervious hides to shield a firefighter from the blast.

Just outside the city limits, Needle Burrower dug a deep cavern with it's claws and tail, while Disc Fighter urged stranded citizens to hide within for shelter.

Above the vortex, Sangan and the Witch of the Black forest merged into Sanwitch, and the new spellcaster began to chant an incantation to slow the destructive funnel.

Giant Rat stupidly threw a bone at the vortex. Kaiser Sea Horse just shook his head as the bone was flung right back, smacking the rodent in the face.

Gyaku-Gire Panda righted a bus that had turned over with timely assistance from Enraged Muka Muka. While the people inside were hurt, they felt MUCH better as Injection Fairy Lily appeared to see to their injuries. MUCH, MUCH better.

Bazoo the Soul-Eater threw his meal into the vortex, hoping to appease it. When that failed, Fiend Megacyber fired energy blasts, making the soul orb erupt.

Throughout the city, the Oppressed People, the People Running About, and the United Resistance herded people into shelters. Inside one shelter that had lost power, Fire Sorcerer did her best to keep the people warm while Magical Scientist worked to restore electricity.

Rude Kaiser was thrown into the side of a building by the winds. Refusing to give up the battle, he stood proudly and charged once more. Yin-Yang Dragon appeared above him, ready to back him up.

White-Horned Dragon materialized next to CyberV, who was straining to maintain all his monsters. Using it as a medium, Slifer spoke.

"Warrior. If you continue to do this, it will cost you more than you realize. It could easily extinguish your lifeforce!"

"Better one life than en entire city," said CV through a grimace of pain. "And now it's time to take this to the final level... COMBAT VEHICLES... MOBILIZE! FIVE-HEADED DRAGON! ARISE!" In the air, the six Vehicles materialized, Five-Headed Dragon following dutifully.

"No freaking way..." Jay gasped in astonishment as he and the others reached what remained of the roof. CyberV's monsters were EVERYWHERE.

"I had no idea he could do this," said Ashes, impressed.

"He can't," said Nat. "LOOK!"

CyberV was glowing now, becoming transparent.

"He's using his every last drop of duel energy and fighting spirit," said Flame Swordsman. "He can't survive this."

"The dork's gonna die?!" Hikari clenched her fists. "Not happening."

"Indeed," said Creator. "We shant allow such a tragedy to come to pass."

"But what can we do?" asked Flame Sprite.

"There might be... ONE way," allowed the Red Dark Magician.

"Spill it. NOW." Poison glared at the duel spirit. "That idiot just saved my rear, and I refuse to let him hog all the glory on this one."

"DRAGON RIDER OMNIS! FORM UP NOW!" The six Vehicles and Five-Headed Dragon merged together, forming the second Omnis incarnation once more. On the ground, CyberV vanished completely into light, flying up towards Omnis. He reappeared above the battle, no longer of the flesh, but entirely of spirit.

"EVERYONE!" he shouted. "ATTACK TOGETHER!" He thrust the Scepter down at the vortex as all his creatures let loose with their attacks simultaneously, striking the vortex from all sides. Dragon Rider Omnis's blast came after the rest, striking the center of the vortex and expanding outwards, shattering the spiraling soul winds.

"It's done," said CV, relieved. He watched as the vortex finally dissipated, just seconds before it would have struck the city. Already, the clouds Ryu Kokki had gathered were beginning to fade away, allowing the sun to shine through onto the embattled city. It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked his three spirits as the rest of the monsters faded away.

"Yeah. It sure is," admitted Rocket Warrior. "But we still have a bit of a problem... Ahem..." He pointed down, and CyberV realized he was floating in the sir, immaterial.

"I... I guess it's my time," he said, resigned. "I used everything I had to stop the vortex." He looked down at the Academy. "I just wish I could say goodbye."

* * *

In the Academy, Mokuba ran through the halls, rushing to get to the others on the roof. He held a small box in his hands, and NOTHING was going to keep him from delivering it to those that needed it. As he reached the roof, panting, he held it out. He could see they'd been joined by a very concerned Yugi and Ishizu.

"I got it like you said to," he said between exhausted deep breaths.

"Good timing," said Jay.

Nat took the box and opened it, revealing the talismans that had allowed CyberV and Ashes to switch places with their spirits just three days prior.

"All of you," said Red Dark Magician. "Touch the talismans."

"Right."

"Got it."

"Of course."

"Okay."

"This had better work..." The five touched the two talisman. As they did, their spirits each touched their respective partner's backs.

"Good luck," said Yugi.

"Please, be careful," added Ishizu.

The talismans glowed, and suddenly the five duelists found themselves floating up in the air, immaterial.

"Let's go get our friend back," said Jay as they flew up towards the rapidly fading CV.

* * *

"The city's quite a sight," said CV. "I... I think I'm ready now." He didn't have the strength left to hang on. Any moment now, he would fade away forever.

"WELL WE'RE NOT!" He felt someone grab his wrist. He looked, astonished, to see Nat holding onto him.

"Got that right," said Jay as he appeared on CV's right side.

"You're not getting away THAT easily," added Ashes. "You've still gotta help me clean the cafeteria." She appeared on his left.

"Of course, if you WANT to go away," said Hikari, appearing before him, "you could at least leave Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes to me." She smirked as she said it.

"Don't look at me," said Poison, appearing next to Hikari. "I'm just here for the fun of it."

"Guys..." CV couldn't believe it. "You came up here... for me?"

"Got it in one," said Jay. "Can't have a 'We Saved the World' party without the guest of honor, after all."

"But... I... I don't have anything left."

"Then take some from us," said Nat. "The power of friendship, right?"

"We don't have to draw a smile face on our hands, so we?" asked Hikari, getting looks from the others. "Sorry. Family joke." She put her hand out. Jay, ashes, and Nat placed their's on top of her's. Hesitantly, Poison joined them.

"Just missing one," said Ashes.

Slowly, CV smiled and nodded. "RIGHT!" He placed his hand atop the group's, and his vision filled with light.

* * *

He blinked, and realized he was lying on the lawn of the Academy. Weakly, he looked and saw his friends were sprawled out on the ground in a similar fashion, completely wiped out by the experience.

"We're back..."

"THEY'RE OVER HERE!" shouted Drift as he directed several students to follow him. He heard them running towards him, but CV ignored the coming help.

He knew that there was still a lot to do in the aftermath of the war. So much damage to repair and tend to...

But for the moment, it could wait. It was going to be a beautiful day after all.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"They did it," said Ishizu. "The danger has passed at long last."

"Yes," said Yugi. "They've come a long way." He chuckled. "And I can't wait to see just how far this Warrior's going to go..."

Next time: CyberV vs. Yugi! A Match Against the King of Games!


	51. A Match Against the King of Games!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: The Scepter War reached a stunning conclusion as CyberV narrowly managed to defeat Ramesus through the power of Dragon Rider Omnis, and, with the help of his friends, barely survived the destruction of the vortex threatening the city. But even though the danger has passed, there remains much to resolve...

* * *

CyberV was flying over the city of Solitaire Valley, relieved to see it was still intact after the near-disaster that had come so close to wiping it out.

That he was flying without any visible means to do so seemed irrelevant.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked Rocket Warrior as the spirit appeared next to him.

"Yep. But since when can you fly?"

CyberV blinked. And looked down. "...Uh oh."

* * *

His eyes snapped open instantly. He turned and glared at Rocket Warrior. "How many times have I asked you not to mess with my dreams?"

"About a hundred. But it's SO funny."

CV started to respond, but instead realized he wasn't in his room, but in a bed in the school infirmary. "What... What happened?"

"HEY!" He turned at the sound of the voice to see Ashes, breathing a sigh of relief. "You're awake!" It was immediately obvious that she'd been laid up as well. She was sitting on the bed directly to his right. Beyond her he could see a painfully bored Hikari. Across the room, Jay and Nat were in the middle of a non-holographic duel to kill time.

"Took long enough," said Jay. "You think you can go save the world and then just slack off like that?"

"Not after what we had to do to bring you back..." muttered Nat.

He sweatdropped. "So the whole turning into light thing was..."

"Real," said Hikari. "And for the record, WE ARE NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!"

"Not that we could," said Ashes. "The talismans kinda fell apart when they did their thing."

"Not that big a deal, if you ask me," said Jay. "Not like anybody else'll ever have to deal with being turned into stardust after a big duel monsters fight."

"True..."

"HEY!" The five friends turned as they heard the voice shout out. In the doorway, Drift looked harried and worn. "If you're not too busy chatting, we've got a situation on our hands!"

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 51: CyberV vs. Yugi! A Match Against the King of Games!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

Now running down the hall, with Drift leading the way, the gang rushed towards the problem.

"So what's going on?!" CV clutched the Scepter tightly, ready to transform if need.

"Payback," was all Drift said.

"I love it when he's stoically cryptic..." muttered Jay.

* * *

"You can just go join the REST of the traitors!" One angry student gave a shove, and Allis tumbled to the floor, right in front of Bubble and Fury. All that remained of Ramesus' inner circle were gathered together, surrounded by the student body. Stripped of their duel disks, they were completely helpless.

McMike glared at the students, but he couldn't really disagree with them much. They HAD gone too far. There was no making it up to them.

"Any ideas?" asked Kuno.

"Don't get beaten to a pulp."

"Good plan." They both glanced to the back of their little gathering and saw Ramesus, completely unresponsive. Whatever the penalty game had done to him, he seemed oblivious to the danger surrounding him. Lucky.

"Okay!" said one student. "It's time we took care of these creeps once and for all!" He placed a card onto his disk. "I SUMMON RAMPAGING RHYNOS!" As he said this, a massive rhino man materialized.

Rampaging Rhynos: 1500/1500

"YEAH!"

"GET 'EM!"

"STOMP 'EM GOOD!" Encouraged by the first, several other students began summoning monsters.

Archfiend General: 2100/800

Lightning Punisher: 2600/1600

Hannibal Necromancer: 1400/1800

"NOW ATTACK!" The four monsters surged forward with fists, lightning and energy blasts. The Evil duelists braced themselves for the impacts. Explosions rocked the auditorium. However, as the smoke cleared, it was obvious that things hadn't gone as planned. Instead of the floor being littered with fallen duelists, standing between the monsters and their victims were Exodia, Exxod, and the Red Dark Magician.

Exodia: infinite/infinite

Exxod, Master of the Guard: 0/4000

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

Standing behind the monsters were their owners, Mouse, Lazyman, and Poison.

"You guys all right?" asked Poison.

"Peachy." said Shadow. "WHAT KEPT YOU?!"

"You're welcome," muttered Lazyman.

"OUR HERO!" The Brews almost swooned at the idea of Poison coming to their rescue.

"This is getting out of hand," said Mouse. "The students are demanding retribution."

"Maybe they should have it..." said Ramesus softly.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The first student growled. "THEY'VE GOTTA PAY!" Rampaging Rhynos charged again, but Exodia reached out and grabbed the creature's head.

"No." Mouse said simply as Exodia squeezed, shattering the monster.

"She's right," said Void as he stepped up from behind the angry duelist. "There's been enough violence and hate this year." His next words he said softly, so only the kid could hear. "And if you threaten my sister and best friend again, the shadow realm will seem like paradise by comparison."

The kid gulped and backed away.

"You may be able to scare him, but WE'RE not afraid of you!" The remaining students prepared to attack again.

"Then maybe you should be scared of ME." Stepping between the two factions, a transformed CyberV glared at the furious students.

Enraged now, they glared at him.

"WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING THEM?! YOU JUST SPENT THE LAST YEAR FIGHTING THEM! You should be with US!"

"And attack defenseless people? That's the kind of behavior I've been struggling against all year. But maybe you have a point."

"What's he mean by that?" wondered LazyMan.

CyberV hefted up his duel disk and extended it to play mode. "Red-Eyes! Hyozanryu! Rocket Warrior!" The three spirit monsters materialized behind the Warrior.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: 2400/2000

Hyozanryu: 2100/2800

"Of course I have a point! These guys need to suffer for what they did!"

"No, not that... That maybe I should try attacking defenseless people once in a while." CV placed a spell card into his disk. "I PLAY RAIGEKI!" The spell card materialized. "And this card will help me see how right you are, because when played, it destroys all monsters on your side of the field!" Lightning lashed out, striking Hannibal Necromancer, Archfiend General, and Lightning Punisher. All three monsters erupted and vanished.

"NOW GUYS! HIT THEM HARD!"

"ALL OVER IT!" said Rocket Warrior as he clocked the first kid. Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes both let loose with their dragon fire, knocking the other two for a loop. All three kids fell backwards, terrified as the three monsters gathered behind CV once more.

"So, do you still think attacking the defenseless is a good way to even the odds? Or maybe I should do it again."

"N-No... No, that's all right..."

"Good." CV powered his disk down, and his spirit monsters faded away. "What you don't seem to get is that they've already paid the price for their actions. They'll always have to live with the knowledge of what they almost caused, and the harm they did. But their powers are gone; They're normal duelists, perfectly harmless. Attacking them out of spite and rage will solve nothing. It's enough that the danger has passed. It's time we moved on." He looked them right in the eyes. "If we don't, we risk becoming what they were. Is that really something you want?"

The ringleader opened his mouth to respond, but found he could no longer meet CV's gaze. Slowly, he looked away.

"I didn't think so." CV transformed back to normal, catching the Wdjat and placing it back on his wrist.

"Okay, that's it," said Jay as he and the others finally caught up. "Show's over! Break it up!"

"You heard him..." said Nat in a tone that would brook no arguments. Slowly, the crowd began to disperse. The others sent their monsters away, the crisis averted.

"Running off without us?" Hikari gave CV a look. "Quit cutting us outta the fun, will ya?"

CV glanced towards the Evil Duelists. "There's nothing fun about it, Hikari. Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah," said Fury. "But why help us? We tried to annihilate you!"

"If I picked and chose who was worth saving, I wouldn't be much of a good guy, now would I?"

Fury glared at him, then brushed past him brusquely. Shadow followed suit, probably embarrassed at needing to be rescued.

"You're welcome!" said CV in an overly cheerful tone.

"Well, that was rude..." Ashes blinked. "You'd think they'd thank you after you saved them twice in a day."

CV shrugged. "You can't please everybody." He glanced at Ramesus. "Hey, are you okay?"

Ramesus didn't respond.

"Ramesus?"

"NO!" The outburst took CV aback. "NO, I'M NOT OKAY! WHY DIDN'T YOU LET THEM HAVE ME?! I DESERVE TO SUFFER AFTER WHAT I CAUSED! I ALMOST DESTROYED THE WORLD, AND THERE YOU STAND... PROTECTING ME WHEN YOU SHOULD BE HATING ME AND PUNISHING ME! WHY?! WHY WON'T YOU LET ME PAY?!"

"Because it wasn't really you," said CV. "I've met the real you, and while you're a bit deceitful, you weren't truly evil. What happened was an accident. You weren't in control of yourself. The fact you feel so bad about all of it just shows that you're in control again."

"But that doesn't change the fact that I still did so much harm..."

"Most of which I've already fixed," pointed out CV.

Ramesus glanced at Allis, who was still on her knees, despondent.

"Yeah... Most..." He looked away from her. "It's my fault she's suffering now. I ruined everything for her, and for what? What I did to her was unforgivable, and instead of blaming me... they all blame her."

"They'll come around... Eventually."

"I doubt it..." Ramesus clenched his fists. "And even if most of them do, HE won't." An image of Ikke flashed through both their minds. "Instead of a happily ever after, all she has to look forward to is a lifetime of misery... AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" As he said this, he bolted away from the group and down the hall, quickly fading from view.

"Ramesus..."

"Good riddance," muttered Poison. "Come back when you're sane. Or not. See if I care."

CV walked over to Allis and knelt down by her side.

"I failed you," he said, softly. "I failed you, and I am SO sorry, Allis. I promise... Someday, I'll make this right again. Just know that you've still got friends."

Allis said nothing. Her tears said it all for her.

* * *

"You can't blame yourself for what happened," said Yugi. "There was no way you could have known about the situation your friend Allis was facing."

"Maybe, but I still should have done more." CV looked out the window to see the blue skies above the city. "I let her down. I let everybody down."

"Nonsense," said Yugi. "You saved this city, perhaps the entire world, from being sucked into the Shadow Realm. It's unfortunate, but the simple truth is that you can't save everyone all the time."

"It's not just that... After all that's happened, the school's more out of harmony than ever. The Evil Duelists can't rely on Ramesus to lead them anymore, the unaffiliated students are out for revenge, and the Good Duelists have to spend all their time watching out for their former rivals. It's completely out of balance."

"Then it's a good thing this year's almost over, isn't it?" asked Ishizu as she entered the room. "Warrior, things are not as bad as they appear to be. True, in the wake of Ramesus's defeat, there is chaos, but it will be three months before students roam these halls again. Many students will be leaving us forever, and the rest shall have a great deal of time to come to grips with what befell them this past year. Perhaps it shall be enough."

"And maybe it'll only give their anger and resentment time to fester and grow," responded CV.

"If we leave things as they are, yes," said Ishizu. "However, perhaps there is a way to take their minds off their problems, if only for a short while."

At that, both CV and Yugi grinned.

"You know," said Yugi. "I think we might just have an idea that can help with that..."

* * *

"Now arriving at Solitaire Valley." Kaiba scowled as the navigation computer aboard his Blue-Eyes White Jet told him what he already knew. Despite the speed with which he'd rushed to arrive, it seemed that the storm had passed. News reports all across the globe were speaking about the inexplicable army of monsters that had swarmed the vortex, destroying it utterly and saving this city from annihilation.

The images he'd seen just made his failure to arrive in time all the more galling. He knew to whom that particular mix of monsters belonged.

As the jet finally came for a completely unauthorized landing on the grounds of the Arcane Academy, he could see that his arrival was not unexpected. Awaiting him were Mokuba and that annoying Tombkeeper busybody, Ishizu.

"SETO!"

"MOKUBA!" Kaiba leapt from the cockpit, not waiting for the ladder to descend. Landing effortlessly, he allowed himself a moment of emotion and almost hugged his younger brother before remembering to maintain his dignity. "What happened here?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but you're just in time!"

"In time for what?"

"A duel a year in the making," said Ishizu.

* * *

"All students and faculty, please report to the main auditorium immediately. There has been an addition to the graduation schedule. I repeat, all students and faculty are to report to the main auditorium immediately. That is all." The voice coming over the speaker system sounded friendly enough, but the words made it clear that disobedience was not an option.

Already preparing for the long journey home, Ikke scowled. "What NOW?"

Looking out the window of his office, Ramesus looked up, confused. What was the point of beginning the graduation ceremony an hour earlier?

* * *

"Hey," said Nat as she found CV standing just outside the auditorium. "What's going on?"

"Just a little idea we cooked up. A little something to try and revive the school spirit."

"'We'?" asked Nat, confused. Her eyes widened. "You mean... But there's no way you're ready for something like that!"

CV shrugged. "Doesn't matter. All we need to do is to get them excited, to burn out the aggression and frustration. Whatever happens, that's all I really care about. And besides, I'll have you and the others backing me... Well, maybe not Hikari..."

Nat chuckled. "And having Ami rooting for you won't hurt either, right?"

CV blinked. "You mean you don't know?" He smacked his forehead. "Oh of COURSE! Nobody knows yet!"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Yeah. Ami and I kinda... broke up. She got a bit overwhelmed by the constant danger and me always having to be somewhere else during the battle."

Nat sweatdropped, not believing what she was hearing. "You save her soul TWICE and she dumps you? That's just cold."

CV sighed. "And here I thought letting her go was the noble thing to do..."

"Noble, maybe. Dumb, definitely." CV flopped. "Oops. Sorry." Nat chuckled. "What I meant was, well... True friends stay by your side, no matter how bad things get. Just remember that. We're with you until the end." She flashed him a thumbs up.

CV, getting up, smiled and returned it. "Thanks, Nat. I needed that. Now you'd better find a good seat, because this is gonna be one heck of a show."

* * *

As Nat entered the auditorium, she could see that the students still weren't in a mood to mingle. With very few exceptions, the auditorium was evenly divided into the three factions, and there was no shortage of animosity.

"GO HOME AND DON'T COME BACK!"

"YOU STINKING TRAITORS!"

She quickly found the others, front and center with the best seats in the room. They were flanked by Joey, Tristan, and Tea.

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be sweet!" Joey could barely contain himself. "I'm itchin' for some action!"

"Geez, man, act your age already..." Tristan sweatdropped, grabbed Joey by the head, and shoved him into his seat.

Tea sulked. "I need some female friends..."

"I need a new dad..." muttered Hikari.

"This is ridiculous," said Ikke. "What could be so important that they make this pointless ceremony longer?"

"You'll see soon enough," said Nat. "Just wait."

Standing at the back of the auditorium, Kaiba and Mokuba watched. "This had better be worth my time, Mokuba. Since the so-called crisis has passed, my only remaining bit of business here is collecting Yugi's deck and putting it back on the tour circuit."

"It'll be worth it, big bro," said Mokuba. "Trust me."

Even as Mokuba said it, Ishizu stepped up onto the stage. Taking the microphone from the podium, she gazed upon the students and faculty.

"Welcome, students, teachers, honored guests, to the year-end graduation ceremony! It has been, as you are all well aware, a difficult and trying year for everyone present. Bonds have been forged, and bonds have been broken, and now we stand divided. But most importantly, we still stand. We have faced a great trial, and we were not found wanting. The balance has been restored, and at long last, we have found the Warrior, the one that shall protect that precious balance until the very end!"

Jay blinked. "Oh great. If he's hearing any of this, we'll NEVER deflate his ego."

"Hey," asked Ashes. "Where IS he? He should be here by now."

Nat just smirked.

Poison, sitting nearby, overheard and agreed. 'Good question. Where IS he? He wouldn't dare miss a mandatory assembly.'

"To that end, and to celebrate the coming of the Warrior and the salvation of the Academy, it is my great honor to present a very special exhibition match for you today!"

The crowd began to mutter amongst themselves.

"I present to you, your champion, the Warrior of the Balance... CyberV!" The floor opened behind Ishizu, and a platform began to rise up. Standing atop it was CyberV, a knowing smile on his face.

"And his opponent, the world champion of Duel Monsters, the King of Games... YUGI MUTOU!" Another platform began to rise, and Yugi appeared, arms crossed, the picture of knowing confidence.

"...No freaking way..." Jay gaped at the stage.

"This should be interesting," said Rex. "The Warrior and the Pharaoh."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Ami. 'I'd be there for you if I could,' she thought. 'But I get the feeling you don't need me. But good luck.'

"Well well," said Kaiba. "You might be right after all. Seeing Yugi trounce this obnoxious upstart just might make this day worthwhile after all."

"But CV's still something of a novice, right?" asked Ashes. "How can he hope to win against a seasoned pro like Yugi?"

"It's not as clear cut as you think," said Tea. "Yugi once had to duel using the deck of a complete beginner, but he still found that deck's true strength and helped it's owner discover it. Any deck... Any duelist can win if they have the heart, and from what I've seen, your friend has plenty."

"He's still gonna lose, but at least it'll be a good show," added Joey.

"I repeat," said Hikari, embarrassed, "I need a new dad..."

"Don't hold back on me, Yugi," said CV. "Let's give this everything we've got!"

"I'd never dream of giving you anything but my best," said Yugi. Silently, he spoke to Atem. 'So, feel like joining in?'

'Perhaps later,' responded the Pharaoh. 'For now, it's your duel.'

"All right then... LET'S DUEL!" Yugi's duel disk snapped into play mode.

"IT'S DUELIN' TIME!" CV's disk extended as well.

Yugi: 4000

CV: 4000

"I'll begin," said Yugi as he drew a sixth card. "And I play Pot of Greed!" The card materialized on the field. "This allows me to draw two more cards from my deck!" He did so. "And one of them just happens to be my Watapon, and thanks to it's special ability, when it's added to my hand through a card effect, I can instantly summon it to the field in defense mode!" Watapon materialized before Yugi.

Watapon: 200/300

"And then I'll summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" The yellow magnet warrior materialized, ready for battle.

Beta the Magnet Warrior: 1700/1600

"Then I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A holocard appeared behind Watapon.

"MY MOVE!" CV drew. "And I'll begin by playing the spell card Raigeki!" The spell rose up. "With this card in play, all your monsters are automatically destroyed!" Lightning lashed out from the card, heading right for Beta and Watapon.

"Not so fast," said Yugi. "I play Dust Tornado!" His facedown rose up. "With this trap, I can destroy one spell or trap on the field, and I choose Raigeki!" A whirlwind appeared, lashing out and intercepting the lightning before redirecting it back to the source. Struck by it's own blast, Raigeki shattered.

"Oh man, my Raigeki!"

"He waits to play it all year and it backfires. Harsh." Hikari shook her head. "He shoulda known better than to try it on my uncle."

"In addition," said Yugi. "Now I can place one card from my hand facedown on the field." As Dust Tornado faded away, a new holocard materialized to take it's place.

"Fine," said CV. "Then I'll play Graceful Charity!" The card appeared. "Now I can draw three cards from my deck, as long as I send two from my hand to the graveyard." He chose Red-Eyes and Hero Kid and sent them away. "But one'll be coming right back, thanks to Monster Reborn!" He placed the card into his disk, and it rose up on the field. "Now come on back HERO KID!" Monster Reborn shattered as Hero Kid appeared on the field, kneeling.

Hero Kid: 300/600

"And now I activate his special ability! When he's summoned to the field from the graveyard, I can summon two more of him from my deck!" His deck glowed, and the remaining two Hero Kids materialized next to the first.

Hero Kids 2 and 3: 300/600

"And since all that was special summoning, I'll also call upon Luster Dragon in attack mode!" A shining sapphire dragon appeared, roaring.

Luster Dragon: 1900/1600

"Now go, Luster Dragon! Destroy Beta the Magnet Warrior with Sapphire Flames!" The dragon's fireball appeared, charged, and launched, striking Beta and shattering the monster.

Yugi: 3800

CV: 4000

"That'll do for now," said CV.

"All right," said Yugi as he drew. "I'll sacrifice my Watapon to summon my mighty Curse of Dragon!" Watapon shattered as Curse of Dragon materialized on the field.

Curse of Dragon: 2000/1500

"And I'll also play my facedown card... MONSTER REBORN! Arise, Beta!" The Magnet Warrior returned to the field.

Beta the Magnet Warrior: 1700/1600

"Beta, destroy one of his Hero Kids! Magna Blast!" Beta leapt up and fired a magnetic beam from his right hand, shattering the Hero Kid at CV's far right.

"Now Curse of Dragon! Infernal Dragon Breath! Strike down his Luster Dragon!" Curse of Dragon let loose, and Luster Dragon shattered as well.

Yugi: 3800

CV: 3900

"Then I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn." Two cards appeared behind his monsters.

'As soon as he launches his next attack,' thought Yugi, 'I've got him. If my Mirror Force doesn't clear his field of monsters, my Magic Cylinder will decimate his life points.'

'Perhaps,' added Atem, 'but his deck is entirely unpredictable. That makes him a difficult opponent to anticipate and counter.'

"Close match so far," muttered Bubble.

"But it's just begun," said Toil.

"And from the looks of the crowd, we may not see the end of it," noted Trouble. Indeed, the crowd was divided between watching the duel and glaring at the Evil Duelists.

'I almost feel bad for them,' thought Poison as he watched the crowd seethe with animosity. 'So why the heck did anyone think this match was a good idea? Putting everyone together when things are this tense? It's completely insane!'

"This doesn't seem to be doing the trick," noted LazyMan. "They need to step this duel up a notch or this could get real ugly."

Watching from the nosebleed area, Ramesus knew what the Warrior and Pharaoh were up to. But he couldn't tell if he and the others even DESERVED a second chance.

"Here we go!" CV drew. "I play the spell card Painful Choice! Now I pick five cards from my deck! You then choose one, and it gets added to my hand, while the rest go to the graveyard!" Hyozanryu, Red-Eyes Black Chick, Kiryu, Pitch-Dark Dragon, and Bad Reaction to Simochi appeared overhead.

"An interesting selection. I'm surprised you didn't choose your Vehicles."

"And get accused of going stale? Please..."

Yugi chuckled. "Very well, my young friend. I'll choose your Bad Reaction."

"Nice choice," said CV as he sent his dragons to the graveyard. "I'll save this for later. In the meantime, I'll sacrifice one of my remaining Hero Kids!" The Kid at his far left faded away. "That allows me to summon an old friend of mine... MOBIUS THE FROST MONARCH!" The ice giant appeared on the field.

Mobius the Frost Monarch: 2400/1000

"And since he was summoned through a tribute, I can activate his special ability!" Mobius raised his club. "Now he can destroy two spell or trap cards on the field, like the ones you just set on your last turn!" Mobius swung his club, creating an icy wind that froze both of Yugi's trap cards and shattered them.

"Oh no!" Yugi couldn't believe it. "Two of my best cards annihilated like they were nothing!"

"And that's just the beginning," said CV.

"Come on, Yugi," said Kaiba. "You're not going to let this irritating upstart get the best of you. I know you better than that."

Jay blinked. "You know, CV might actually win this if he can keep the pressure up."

"Wait..." Hikari sweatdropped. "You mean he might take the title for himself?!" She tried to imagine CV with the title King of Games and shook her head to get rid of it. "It can't be! It just can't!"

"It looks like you're in a fix, Yugi," said CV. "Well don't worry... It'll all be over soon enough! Mobius will see to that!"

"We'll see about that," said Yugi. "SO DO YOUR WORST!"

And Mobius raised his club again...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Year One Ends! Farewells and Hope!


	52. Year One Ends! Farewells and Hope!

Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: In the aftermath of the Scepter War, the Academy's factions were more divided than ever, and the former victims of the Evil Duelists were looking for revenge. While a massive assault was thwarted, the situation remained grim. Deciding that there was only one way to reunite the Academy, CyberV and Yugi decided to face off before the entire student body. As the duel began, CV quickly took control of the duel as Mobius the Frost Monarch destroyed two of Yugi's best traps and prepared to attack...

* * *

"STRIKE NOW, MOBIUS! DESTROY YUGI'S CURSE OF DRAGON!" CyberV's order to attack's effect was immediately carried out as Mobius swung his massive weapon, striking Curse of Dragon and shattering it.

Yugi: 3400

CyberV: 3900

Mobius the Frost Monarch: 2400/1000

"A good move," said Yugi. "But this duel's far from over. And with your remaining monster in defense mode, there doesn't seem to be anything more you can do this turn."

Beta the Magnet Warrior: 1700/1600

Hero Kid: 300/600

"You'd be surprised," said CV. "I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn." Two holocards appeared before him.

"I can't believe it," said Jay. "He's actually holding his own against Yugi Mutou."

"And to think that just nine months ago, he barely had a grasp on the basics. Wow. At this rate, he could actually WIN." Ashes couldn't believe her eyes.

"THAT dork? The next King of Games?" Hikari scoffed. "Not a chance. Sure he's got that whole 'saved the world' cred now, but come on! He can't beat my uncle... Right?"

"We'll know soon enough," said Nat. "One way or another, this duel won't last forever. But think about it. Ashes is right. He HAS grown over this last year, in leaps and bounds. He's beaten the best the Academy could throw at him. He's even beaten some of us, and we're regionals material. There's no telling who's going to win, but I do know one thing... This is going to be one GOOD duel."

* * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles

Episode 52: Year One Ends! Farewells and Hope!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall

* * *

"It's my move!" said Yugi as he drew.

"It may be your move, but I've got a trick up my sleeve first!" CV tapped two buttons on his duel disk. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! BAD REACTION TO SIMOCHI!" His first facedown rose up.

"I'm not surprised," said Yugi. "After all, I allowed you to have that card when you played your Painful Choice spell."

"And you also know it's special ability. Any effect that would raise your life points will drain them instead... Effects like THIS! GO GIFT CARD!" His second facedown rose up, revealing a Winged Kuriboh adorned trap. "Normally, when this trap is activated, it would give you 3000 extra life points. However, with Bad Reaction in play, it'll take them away instead!" Winged Kuriboh leapt from the trap and flew to Yugi's disk. Landing on it, it placed within it a swipe card. Immediately, Yugi's life points dropped like a rock.

Yugi: 400

CyberV: 3900

Winged Kuriboh shattered, as did Gift Card.

"No way..." Kaiba was taken aback at how easily the novice had reduced Yugi's life points to almost nothing. "Yugi, you'd better not lose. Not to him."

Near Kaiba, Ramesus watched with equal interest.

"Come on," he muttered. "If anyone can fix the damage I caused, it's the two of you."

"GO CV!" shouted Drift. "You can do it!"

"Oh please," muttered Shadow. "He doesn't stand a chance against Yugi."

"Who asked YOU for an opinion?" said Forest in retaliation.

"So much for school unity..." groaned LazyMan. "At this rate, they'll rile themselves into a riot."

'He's better than we expected,' said Atem in Yugi's mind. 'With your life points so low, you can't risk leaving yourself open.'

'Even more important,' thought Yugi in response, 'all he needs to do is draw another life point affecting spell or trap, and this duel's all over.'

'But he won't,' responded Atem. 'His purpose isn't necessarily to win the duel, but to reunite the student body. My guess is that he's not using any of his other life point spells or traps. He wants to see how good we are when we're pushed into a corner... He wants to give them a real show.'

"Than let's give them one!" said Yugi. "All right, Warrior... It's time we took this to the next level."

"Glad to hear it," said CV. He raised the Millennium Wdjat up. "MILLENNIUM POWER!" Immediately, CyberV felt an immense surge of power. Instinctively, he threw the Scepter and Wdjat into the air above him and ripped off his jacket, putting it back on like a cape; the sleeves, with just a flick of his wrist, had tied themselves together. The Scepter came down, and he caught it deftly as his hair rose up. A white streak appeared in the front of his hair. The Millennium Wdjat came down, and CyberV struck it with the Scepter. The Wdjat sunk into the orb at the end of the Scepter, and another wdjat appeared on CyberV's forehead.

"YU-GI-OH!!" The Millennium Puzzle released an intense burst of energy. Yugi's hair became even more wildly spiky as an intense focus formed on his face. Taking control of his body, Atem smiled. "And now, it's time we got serious." Yami Yugi thrust his finger at CV. "It's going to take a lot more than a cheap trick to get the best of me."

"I certainly hope so," said CV with a grin that mirrored Yugi's own.

"I'll begin by switching Beta to defense mode!" Beta crowned down. "And then I'll summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior, also in defense mode!" Gamma appeared next to Beta, crouching.

Gamma the Magnet Warrior: 1500/1800

"And finally, I'll play this: SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!" He held the spell up, and it began to glow. Energy blades shot out, surrounding Mobius and Hero Kid. "For the next three turns, you can't attack me."

"So we're playing the waiting game, huh?" asked CV. "Since you're out of cards to play, I don't mind." He drew. "And I'll even pass on this turn." He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm anxious to see what you're gonna come up with."

"Very well!" Yugi drew. "And I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior!" Alpha appeared, crouching next to his brothers.

Alpha the Magnet Warrior: 1400/1700

"Oh yeah," said Joey. "This is gonna be GOOD."

"And now I sacrifice my Alpha, Beta, and Gamma to summon the mighty Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!" The three Magnet Warrior shattered into pieces. The various pieces began to swarm together, creating a larger body from The remains of The three.

Valkyrion The Magna Warrior: 3500/3850

"Oh... THAT'S what you were coming up with. My bad." CV chuckled.

"Indeed it was," said Yami Yugi. "And now it's time for my Magna Warrior to crush your Mobius! ATTACK WITH MAGNETIC PULSE BLAST!" Valkyrion flew into The air and thrust it's hand forward, releasing a pulse of magnetic energy that hit Mobius head on, reducing The Monarch's frozen body to crushed ice. The remains of The monster shattered.

Yugi: 400

CyberV: 2800

"And now I activate Valkyrion's special ability!" Valkyrion shattered into components. "By sacrificing him, I can resummon my Alpha, Beta, and Gamma to The field!" The pieces reformed into The three Magnet Warriors.

Alpha The Magnet Warrior: 1400/1700

Beta The Magnet Warrior: 1700/1600

Gamma The Magnet Warrior: 1500/1800

"And that gives me three more attacks! ALPHA, DESTROY HIS HERO KID!" Alpha flew forward and slugged Hero Kid, who shattered.

"BETA! ATTACK DIRECTLY!" Beta nodded and did The same, aiming for CV. As he was about to reach CV, however, a Kuriboh appeared between them, and Beta's strike shattered it instead.

"I discard Kuriboh from my hand to activate his special ability, reducing The damage from that direct attack to zero!" CV grinned again. "Too bad, so sad."

"I'm not done," said Yami Yugi. "Now that you don't have your Kuriboh, Gamma can still land a blow!" Gamma lunged forward and struck CV, knocking The Warrior back a bit.

Yugi: 400

CV: 1300

"That ends my turn," said Yugi.

"And that makes it my move!" CV drew and looked at The two cards he was holding. 'But I can't do much,' he thought silently. 'With Swords of Revealing Light on The field, even if I summon a monster, I can't attack. Even if I could, he'd just re-fuse his Magnet Warriors into Valkyrion and crush that defense before splitting it up and finishing The job. What I need to do is buy myself some time... And this little card's just The thing to do it!'

CV placed one card into his spell and trap zone. "One card facedown, and that's it for me." A holocard appeared before him.

"It seems The tide's turning against The Warrior," mused Ikke. "I'm not surprised. Against The King of Games, he doesn't stand any chance at all."

"Come on..." muttered Ami. "You can turn this around."

"It doesn't really matter if he does or not, right?" asked Rex. "I mean, this duel's just for fun."

"Winning might not matter," said Drift, "but The duel DOES. The longer he lasts, The better. He's trying to bring The students together again, and losing now, while they're still fractured like this? I don't even wanna THINK about how ugly things could get."

"Looks like it's over," said Toil.

"Probably," said Trouble. "What do you think, Bubble?"

"...I don't know... But he saved us, didn't he? Don't we owe it to him to support him now?"

"You've gotta be kidding me," muttered Forest, turning towards Bubble. "You help Ramesus nearly destroy this place, and NOW you wanna root for The guy that stopped you? You don't have The right!"

"I'm not so sure," said StrongMan. "Back when I was helping students evacuate... Bubble helped... I think." His memories flashed back. "I couldn't get The doors to open... But she did. I thought she was just doing it to make me feel useless, but now..."

"YOU HELPED HIM?!" exclaimed both Toil and Trouble.

Bubble looked away. "Maybe... Maybe a little..."

"She helped later, too," said Mech. "Remember? She tried to fight Ramesus."

"And bought some time at a critical moment," noted Tapkar. "If she hadn't done that, Ramesus would've been even stronger."

"I... I dunno..." Forest looked at Bubble with suspicion. "And The rest are still no good."

"Poison isn't," said Magyk. "I found that out The hard way when we were forced to duel."

"And didn't everyone already suffer enough? I mean, Ramesus turned on EVERYBODY, Good, Evil, AND neutral." Drift's point was well taken.

Not far away, Kuno overheard, and couldn't help but agree.

"Looks like there's finally some progress," muttered Void. "Keep going..."

"Let's hope it can," added McMike.

"Only one facedown to protect yourself?" asked Yami Yugi. "I'd hoped for more of a challenge." He drew. "Now my Magnet Warriors, I once more sacrifice all three of you to summon Valkyrion The Magna Warrior!" The three Magnet Warriors split into pieces and re-merged into their mighty final form.

Valkyrion The Magna Warrior: 3500/3850

"Now attack and end this duel!" Valkyrion flew forward, sword raised to strike down CV.

"Not so fast!" shouted CV. "I reveal my facedown card: PHYSICAL DOUBLE!" The trap rose up and reflected Valkyrion's image. "When this trap card is activated, it selects an attacking monster and gives me an exact copy until The end of The turn! So now, Yugi, meet Valkyrion The Clone Warrior!" A mirror-image of Valkyrion appeared on The field, standing between The original and CV.

Valkyrion The Clone Warrior: 3500/3850

Valkyrion stopped in it's tracks.

"When you did that, The number of monsters on The field changed," said Yugi. "That triggered an instant replay. Now I can cancel my attack and separate Valkyrion back into The Magnet Warriors!" Valkyrion vanished at The three Magnet Warriors re-materialized.

Alpha The Magnet Warrior: 1400/1700

Beta The Magnet Warrior: 1700/1600

Gamma The Magnet Warrior: 1500/1800

"Why'd he do that?" asked Ashes. "Valkyrion's way stronger than those three."

"I think I know..." muttered Hikari. "And The dork's in for a rough ride if I'm right."

Poison said nothing. He was content to merely watch.

"And now I sacrifice Alpha, Beta, and Gamma!" All three Magnet Warriors faded away. "So now I can summon The almighty OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" Yugi slammed The card onto a monster zone as lightning flashed and thunder crashed. A sudden wind picked up, staggering CV, who braced himself against this new onslaught. As The winds died down, a massive creature began to lower itself onto The field. A deathly blue in color, there was no mistaking this new arrival. Obelisk The Tormentor, The legendary God Card, had arrived on The field.

Obelisk The Tormentor: 4000/4000

"Oh dear..." CV clenched his fists.

Kaiba chuckled. "This is all over," he said. "But I'm not surprised."

"Don't count CyberV out yet," said Mokuba. "He could still surprise you."

"Isn't this overkill?!" exclaimed Jay.

"To say The least," said Nat, agreeing.

"OBELISK!" shouted Yami Yugi. "DESTROY HIS VALKYRION CLONE WITH THE HAND OF GOD!" Obelisk thrust his massive fist forward, striking The Valkyrion Clone with it's full force. The clone and Physical Double shattered, and The eruption threw CV for a loop. Landing hard, CV was sprawled out on The stage floor.

"You've fought a good duel," said Yugi. "But it's over. You can't hope to match Obelisk's power now."

Yugi: 400

CV: 800

CV struggled to get up. His entire body ached from The impact. He was just grateful that The duel wasn't a shadow game, or The blow might have finished him off.

"GET UP!" The shout came from near The back of The arena. Everyone turned at The sound of The familiar and hated voice. Standing up in full view was Ramesus, staring right at his former enemy. "ARE YOU JUST GOING TO LIE THERE AND TAKE THAT?! YOU'RE THE WARRIOR, SO GET UP AND FIGHT BACK!"

Weakly, CV struggled against The pain.

"WE'RE WITH YOU!" shouted Ami, surprising herself.

"YOU'RE NOT FIGHTING ALONE!" That call came from StrongMan.

"Well whadda ya know..." Hikari smirked. "It's working. It's actually working."

"DON'T YOU DARE QUIT NOW!" shouted Shadow.

"YOU CAN TAKE HIM!" added Kuno.

"Get up..." Unlike The others, Allis rooted softly. "You have to."

Struggling, CV slowly pulled himself to his feet.

"GO FOR IT!" shouted Void.

One by one, The students were beginning to cheer.

"You hear that?" asked Yugi. "They want you to keep fighting. Friends and former enemies alike." He smiled. "Are you going to let them down now?"

"Not... a... CHANCE!" Ignoring The pain, CV drew. "I PLAY POT OF GREED!" The spell card rose up. "And that lets me draw two new cards!" He did so. "And now I have what I need to turn this duel around! HERE GOES EVERYTHING!" He placed his first card on The field. "I play The spell Reasoning! Now you choose a monster level, and I pick up cards until I reach a monster. If you've called it right, The monster's destroyed. If you call it wrong, it's summoned to my field!"

"Very well," said Yugi. "I say seven stars."

Reasoning glowed as cards vanished from CV's deck right to The graveyard. After four cards, Rocket Warrior's card materialized before CV.

"Sorry," said CV, "but Rocket Warrior's only got four! COME ON OUT, BUDDY!" Rocket Warrior materialized, crouching.

Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300

"It's about time!" muttered The spirit. "I've been waiting forever!"

"Sorry about that," said CV. "But this duel's about to end, and right now, there's nobody I'd rather have at my side."

"What about someone that could get rid of The swords?"

CV sweatdropped. "...Never mind. In any case, now I play The spell card Dragon's Mirror!" The mirror appeared in The air. "And I remove from play Kiryu, Pitch-Dark Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Chick, Luster Dragon, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The five dragons appeared in The mirror and swirled together. "AND NOW I CAN SUMMON FIVE-HEADED DRAGON!" The mirror shattered, revealing The massive beast, it's five heads roaring, announcing it's arrival on The field. It quickly crouched down.

Five-Headed Dragon: 5000/5000

"Since I can't attack," said CV, "he'll stay in defense mode for The moment. And since all that was special summoning, I can still summon one more monster for later." As he said that, a holocard appeared next to Rocket Warrior. "That ends my turn." As CV said this, The Swords of Revealing Light vanished. "But next turn, it's all over."

"This could be it," said Jay. "His Dragon's stronger than Obelisk, and all Yugi has is whatever he's about to draw."

"No way is Yugi gonna lose," said Joey. "Yugi's got The heart of The cards on his side!"

"Come on, Yugi! Are you gonna take that from a rookie?!" Tristan eagerly joined in rooting for Yugi.

Tea sighed. "Glad you remember that it doesn't matter who wins this one..."

"It's my move," said Yami Yugi as he drew. He glanced at his card. "And now we'll see if one card can still turn The tide of a battle! I PLAY CARD OF SANCTITY!" The spell card appeared on The field. "And with this card in play, we can both draw from our decks until we have six cards." Yugi quickly drew his cards. CV did The same.

"Bit of a double-edged sword, though," noted CV. "You needed new options, I know, but you gave me a full hand in The process."

"True enough," said Yami Yugi, "but how The battle goes all depends on how I handle that sword!" He considered his hand for a microsecond. "I'll place three cards facedown!" Three holocards appeared behind Obelisk. "And speaking of swords, it's time I played one of my own! I activate The equip spell known as Excalibur!" The spell card materialized, and a majestic blade appeared, stuck in a rock before Obelisk. The God leaned forward and grasped The hilt of The blade. With one mighty tug, The blade came loose from The stone. Hefting it over his head, Obelisk looked more menacing than ever.

"Since this card's so rare, I'll tell you what it can do. Whatever monster is equipped with Excalibur doubles it's original attack strength. Of course, while it's on The field, I have to skip my draw phases, but that's not an issue here, thanks to one of Obelisk's special abilities. Since he's a God Card, spells can only affect him for a single turn... But that turn will be more than enough!"

Obelisk The Tormentor: 8000/4000

"This... could be a problem..." Rocket Warrior sweatdropped.

"Duly noted," said CV.

"Now Obelisk... STRIKE DOWN FIVE-HEADED DRAGON WITH THE BLADE OF THE KING!" Obelisk swung Excalibur, slashing right through The mighty dragon. Five-Headed Dragon roared in pain as it shattered. Yugi smirked. "So much for your trump card." Excalibur faded away, it's effect ended.

"I might not have my dragon," said CV as he drew, "but that was hardly my trump card!" He looked at his new card. "PERFECT! First, I remove from play both Hyozanryu from my graveyard, and, from my hand, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Hyozanryu and Red-Eyes appeared and flew into The air. "This lets me summon one of my strongest creatures! ARISE YIN-YANG DRAGON!" The two dragons transformed into twin Chinese dragons.

Yin-Yang Dragon: 0/0

"Now I activate it's special ability! For each card in my deck I remove from play, Yin-Yang Dragon gains 500 attack and defense points until The end of The turn! So since Obelisk has 4000, I'll remove nine cards!" CV picked up The top nine cards from his deck, gave them a quick once-over, and pocketed them.

Yin-Yang Dragon: 4500/4500

"Next, I'll reveal my facedown monster: Summoner of Illusions!" The wise monk appeared.

Summoner of Illusions: 800/900

"Rocket Warrior, are you ready?"

"Go for it." Rocket Warrior gave CV The thumbs up.

"Okay then, since Summoner of Illusions was flip-summoned, his special ability activates! Now, by sacrificing Rocket Warrior, I can summon a fusion monster from my deck!" Rocket Warrior faded away. "NOW YOU'RE IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING! I NEED COMBAT VEHICLE POWER NOW!" CV thrust his hand into The air, and in response, a massive machine crashed through The ceiling before landing behind him. The VWXYZ-Buster Formation had arrived.

VWXYZ-Buster Formation: 3500/3300

"Now, Yin-Yang Dragon! Attack Obelisk with Good and Evil Intentions!" The two dragons roared as they began to circle Obelisk, their orbs glowing with energy. As they spun faster, they became a blur. The orbs exploded in a brilliant pair of flashes, and Obelisk shattered.

"No..." Kaiba couldn't believe it. "Yugi... lost?"

As The dust settled, The audience was stunned silent. But slowly, they heard a chuckle.

"Nice try," said Yugi. "But not good enough." The dust cleared, revealing Yugi, his life points untouched by The attack. "When you began your attack, I activated my facedown trap: Spirit Barrier! As long as I have a monster on my field, I don't lose life points from battle. And since I had Obelisk, all I lost was a monster. And thanks to your Summoner's special ability, your Buster Formation can't attack, and at The end of your turn, it goes back to your fusion deck."

"True enough," said CV. "But Summoner can still attack you himself, and now you're wide open!"

"Not quite! REVEAL!" Yugi's second facedown rose up. "I activate The trap known as Quickplay! And this trap has a unique ability, letting me activate a spell or trap from my hand on my opponent's turn, and all it costs me is half my life points!"

Yugi: 200

CyberV: 800

"Now activate: SOUL EXCHANGE!" As Yugi said this, Soul Exchange appeared on The field, and a spectral hand grabbed The Summoner, who struggled for a moment before fading away. "And since Soul Exchange lets me sacrifice one of your monsters to summon one of my own, I'll summon The Dark Magician Girl!" Yugi's second-favorite spell caster appeared, giggling as she posed with her magical staff. She quickly crouched, obviously in defense position.

Dark Magician Girl: 2000/1700

"Getting rid of my only remaining attacker won't help," said CV. "I activate Polymerization!" The spell rose up. "And now I'll fuse my Buster Formation and Yin-Yang Dragon! Meet my newest Omnis!" The two monsters flew into The air and into a vortex. "BEHOLD THE ALL-POWERFUL YIN-YANG OMNIS!" A Yin-Yang themed version of The Buster Formation landed. Unlike The more drastic changes of The other Omnis creations, this one's only real difference, aside from The paint job, were The heads of The two dragons forming The hands.

Yin-Yang Omnis: 4000/0004

"...WOAH..." Despite herself, Hikari was impressed.

"Now I activate his first special ability! He automatically destroys one spell or trap on each side of The field! So goodbye Spirit Barrier!" Spirit Barrier shattered as Omnis' white hand glowed. "And goodbye Bad Reaction to Simochi!" The black hand glowed, and CV's trap shattered.

"Next, he'll activate his second ability, and switch Dark Magician Girl into attack mode." Omnis glowed again, and Dark Magician Girl stood up.

"Of course, you know his remaining abilities. He's a God card, so no trap'll work on him, and during my end phase, he'll change back into Buster Formation and Yin-Yang Dragon. But there won't BE an end phase! Yin-Yang Omnis! Attack Dark Magician Girl with Supreme Karmic Unity!" The wings of Omnis glowed white and black as a beam lanced out, aimed right for Dark Magician Girl.

"NOT SO FAST!" said Yugi. "I activate Quickplay once more!"

Yugi: 100

CyberV: 800

"Now I activate from my hand The spell Sage's Stone!" The card appeared on The field. "And with Dark Magician Girl on The field, now I can summon The mighty Dark Magician!" Dark Magician appeared next to Dark Magician Girl. They crossed their staffs in response to The oncoming attack.

Dark Magician: 2500/2100

"You play a good game," said Yugi, "and we haven't enjoyed a battle like this in ages. But all good things must come to an end, and this duel's reached it's own! With both my Dark Magicians on The field, I can now activate The spell known as RAGNAROK!" Yugi's final facedown rose up, revealing The quickplay spell. "Now, I remove from play every monster in my hand, deck, and graveyard from play!" Yugi's many monsters appeared and blocked The attack from Omnis, saving Dark Magician Girl and Yugi. Just as quickly, they began to spiral around Omnis, attacking from all directions. "And they're not going alone! Now that I've done that, my united monsters can destroy your Omnis!" Despite it's massive power, Omnis was helpless to resist The onslaught and shattered. As The dust settled, only The two spellcasters remained on The field.

"And since you've used up your normal summon for this turn," said Yugi, "unless you can special summon another monster stronger than either of my spellcasters, this duel's over."

CV glanced at his hand. He hadn't a single monster left in it. What he had left was useless: Scapegoat (he'd already summoned monsters), TRANSCENDENT Wings (no Winged Kuriboh), Cyber Summon Blaster (no machine monsters), Soul Release (he had no way to summon anything he'd remove from play), and one other...

"No, I can't summon any monsters," said CV. "But there is one last card to play." He placed it into a spell slot. "I activate Yu-Jo Friendship!" The spell rose up, revealing an image of Yugi and Joey shaking hands. CV walked over to Yugi and held out his hand.

"Good game."

Yugi took The hand. "Yes. It was." He chuckled.

Yugi: 450

CyberV: 450

The holocards and The spellcasters vanished. At The same time, both CV and Yugi returned to normal.

"I knew it," said Kaiba.

"That was sure a close one," noted Mokuba.

"Close doesn't count. That kid's always going to be nothing but a loser."

"Oh please. I saw The look on your face when he totaled Obelisk."

Kaiba chose not to dignify that with a response.

"Think it worked?" asked CV.

"We're about to find out," said Yugi. They both glanced towards The assembled audience, which was silent. Slowly, hesitantly, Allis began clapping. She rose to her feet as she did so.

Reluctantly, Ikke did The same. One by one, The students from all sides of The conflict began to applaud, until The entire auditorium was filled with The sounds of a standing ovation.

"Nice job," muttered Ramesus as he slipped into The shadows. "Very nice job indeed..."

"WHEW." Both Mouse and LazyMan released breaths they didn't know they'd been holding.

"That was an awesome duel!" exclaimed Ashes as she and The others climbed onto The stage.

"I've never seen anything like it," agreed Jay. "That was completely nuts!"

"I knew you wouldn't win," said Hikari.

"Oh, thanks a LOT..." said CV.

"But maybe some other day..." Hikari winked.

Poison, unlike The rest, stood off to The side, content to observe. There wasn't anything to say, not really. He watched Yugi, and while he'd probably never be The man's biggest fan, he no longer felt any of The hatred he'd once harbored against The King of Games. His eyes drifted to Hikari.

'Yeah,' he thought to himself. 'There are definitely things in life more important than revenge.'

"If you get any sappier," said The Red Dark Magician, "I may feel The urge to vomit."

Poison gave The sorcerer a look. "You just HAVE to ruin The moment, don't you?"

"It's what I do."

"QUIET!" The remaining spirits all appeared and slugged The Red Dark Magician. Poison sweatdropped and slowly moved away from The ensuing melee.

"Should we...?" started Ashes.

"No." said Nat.

Yugi spotted Kaiba up in The nosebleed section, his arms crossed, a satisfied half-smirk/half-scowl on his face. "I suppose it's time to return my deck to The tour circuit," he said. "If I hold onto it much longer, Kaiba will probably challenge me again."

"Thanks," said CV. "For everything."

"It was my pleasure," said Yugi. "You have some excellent instincts. Your skills are a bit rough though. We'll have to work on that... If you have The time that is."

Hikari and CV both blinked, surprised.

"Come again?" asked Hikari. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," said Tea, "you guys ARE on summer break now... I think I could spare Yugi for a LITTLE while... And there's that guest room at The game shop..."

CV's eyes lit up.

"OH YES!"

"Oh NO..." Hikari groaned. "I just can't get RID of you!"

CV chuckled. "It's not just about becoming a stronger duelist," he said. He glanced towards Ikke and Allis. "It's about fulfilling promises."

'I WILL make things right again,' he thought silently. 'No matter what it takes, I'll fix The damage my mistakes caused, and I'll see my destiny through to The end.'

* * *

Later, on The Academy's roof, CV watched as The sun began to set over The horizon. The long nightmare was over, and a new chapter was about to begin.

"Mind if I join you?" CV turned to see Nat coming up behind him.

"Please," he said as she sat down next to him.

"You know it's not over, right?"

"Yeah, I know," said CV. "I still have to face Ikke's father, and there's bound to be other villains down The road. And while The Academy's united for The moment, it can't last forever. Sooner or later, there'll be another conflict, and I'll have to do everything I can to stop it."

"Yeah," said Nat. "But we're not going to let you do it alone." She placed her hand on top of his. "I won't let you do it alone."

CV felt his face flush red. He looked at Nat and saw that she was smiling. Nat NEVER smiled.

"When we met, I never expected that we'd become friends," she said. "I thought it was just going to be a tutoring assignment. But you taught me something. You taught me about having heart. And I think I'm a better person for it."

"You've always had heart," responded CV. "I could see that from The first minute I knew you. Honestly? Back when Jay was gone and Ashes was off in The Shadow Realm? What gave me The strength to go on was The knowledge that you had my back. No matter what happened, I... I just knew..."

Nat rested her head on his shoulder. "You talk too much."

"Yes Ma'am."

Together, they watched The setting sun in silence.

END OF YEAR 1

Next time: Movie 1: The Twisted Yin! Warrior vs. Warrior!


End file.
